Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Acacia catechu
Acacia catechu also commonly called mimosa catechu, is a deciduous, thorny tree which grows up to 15 m (50 ft) in height.[2] Common names for it include Catechu, Cachou and Black Cutch. The plant is called khair[3] in Hindi, and kachu in Malay, hence Latin "Catechu" for this type species from which the extracts cutch and catechu are derived.[4] It is found in Asia, China, India and the Indian Ocean area.[1]


Through derivatives of the flavanols in its extracts, the species has lent its name to the important catechins, catechols and catecholamines of chemistry and biology.
Uses:
Food
The tree's seeds are a good source of protein.[5] It is also used as an ingredient in paan [Paan, from the word pān in Hindi: पान, is an Indian and South East Asian tradition of chewing betel leaf (Piper betle) with areca nut and slaked lime paste].
Medicinal uses
More specifically, the extract, called catechu is used to treat sore throats and diarrhoea.[2]

Abrus precatorius
Abrus precatorius, known commonly as Jequirity, Crab's Eye, Rosary Pea, John Crow Bead, Precatory bean, Indian Licorice, Akar Saga, Giddee Giddee or Jumbie Bead in Trinidad & Tobago,[1] is a slender, perennial climber that twines around trees, shrubs, and hedges. It is a legume with long, pinnate-leafleted leaves. It is also known as Gunja in Sanskrit and some Indian languages and Ratti in Hindi. The plant is best known for its seeds, which are used as beads and in percussion instruments, and which are toxic due to the presence of abrin. The plant is native to Indonesia and grows in tropical and subtropical areas of the world where it has been introduced. It has a tendency to become weedy and invasive where it has been introduced.
Uses


White varietyThe seeds of Abrus precatorius are much valued in native jewelry for their bright coloration. Most beans are black and red, suggesting a ladybug, and other colors are available. Jewelry-making with jequirity seeds is dangerous, and there have been cases of death by a finger-prick while boring the seeds for beadwork. However, it has long been a symbol of love in China, and its name in Chinese is xiang si dou (Chinese: 相思豆), or "mutual love bean". In Trinidad in the West Indies the brightly coloured seeds are strung into bracelets and worn around the wrist or ankle to ward off jumbies or evil spirits and "mal-yeux" - the evil eye. The Tamils use Abrus seeds of different colors. The red variety with black eye is the most common, but there are black, white and green varieties as well.

The Seeds of Abrus precatorius very similar in weight In Older times Indians used to measure using these seeds and the measure was called as Ratti this was used to generally measure gold and 1 Tola (11.6 Grams) = 12 Masha; 1 Masha = 8 Ratti

A tea is made from the leaves and used to treat fevers, coughs and colds.[2] In Siddha medicine the white variety is used to prepare oil that is used as an aphrodisiac.[3]

Abies balsamea
The balsam fir (Abies balsamea) is a North American fir, native to most of eastern and central Canada (Newfoundland west to central Alberta) and the northeastern United States (Minnesota east to Maine, and south in the Appalachian Mountains to West Virginia).
Growth
It is a small to medium-size evergreen tree typically 14–20 metres (46–66 ft) tall, rarely to 27 metres (89 ft) tall, with a narrow conic crown. The bark on young trees is smooth, grey, and with resin blisters (which tend to spray when ruptured), becoming rough and fissured or scaly on old trees. The leaves are flat needle-like, 15 to 30 millimetres (½–1 in) long, dark green above often with a small patch of stomata near the tip, and two white stomatal bands below, and a slightly notched tip. They are arranged spirally on the shoot, but with the leaf bases twisted to appear in two more-or-less horizontal rows. The cones are erect, 40 to 80 millimetres (1½–3 in) long, dark purple, ripening brown and disintegrating to release the winged seeds in September.
Uses
Both varieties of the species are very popular as Christmas trees, particularly in the northeastern United states. The resin is used to produce Canada balsam, and was traditionally used as a cold remedy and as a glue for glasses, optical instrument components, and for preparing permanent mounts of microscope specimens. The wood is used for paper manufacture. Balsam fir oil is an EPA approved nontoxic rodent repellent.