Taraxacum sect. Ruderalia Uses

The early appearance of his flower is the dandelion is an important bee pasture, the development of colonies used in the spring, but also allows for larger deposits Frühtracht a honey crop. visit for 1 kg of honey bees must be a more than 100,000 people dandelion flowers.

Children in particular make use of the inflorescence stem, which at one end results in a gespleist Minitröte. Tear it into strips the peduncle and then places them into the water, formed by the difference in absorbency of the inner and outer wall spirals.

Food and beverages
The yellow flowers are suitable for making a tasty, honey-like syrup or jelly spread on toast. The young, slightly bitter-tasting leaves can be processed as a salad. With a bacon cream sauce will be considered a delicacy. From the dried root of the plant was in the postwar period produced a coffee substitute (Zichorienwurzelersatz).

Rubber Replacement
During the Second World War has been used in Russia and in the German Reich (here under the project Kok sagyz) as dandelion rubber substitute. Among other things, was established in 1942 in Auschwitz, a research station for plant rubber, were used in the 150 to 250 forced laborers from the camp.

Based on the research will be dandelion for some years back considered as potential raw material for rubber plant and researched in Europe and North America. The aim of the research is to gain from Russian dandelion (Taraxacum kok-saghyz) recoverable dandelion rubber used today as an alternative to natural rubber from the latex of rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) and synthetic rubber.

Source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gew%C3%B6hnlicher_L%C3%B6wenzahn
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Leonurus japonicus

Leonurus japonicus, commonly called Chinese motherwort, is a herbaceous flowering plant native to Asia, including Korea and Japan, China to Cambodia. It has escaped cultivation and become naturalized in other parts of the world including South and North America, Europe and Africa. It is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is called yìmǔcǎo (Chinese: 益母草), literally "beneficial herb for mothers".

Plants are annual or biennial, growing from taproots. The stems are upright growing to a height of 30 to 120 cm. The flowers are sessile and produced in verticillasters. The calyx is tubular-campanulate shaped and 6-8 mm long with broad triangle shaped teeth. The corolla is white or reddish to purplish red in color. Plants bloom from June to September.

Health claims
Functions: Smooth menses; Regulate menses; Invigorate blood circulation; Move blood; Reduce masses; Promote urination; Reduce swelling; Disperse phlegm; Disperse edema.

Indication: Menstrual disorders, delayed or absent menses, irregular menses, amenorrhea, dysmenorrha, endometriosis, infertility, PMS, lower abdominal pain, placenta leakage, dystocia, retained placenta, postpartum abdominal pain due to blood obstruction, postpartum pain and bleeding, hematuria, hypertension, nephritis, kidney stones, edema, dysuria, hematuria (blood in urine), lump in the breast, skin infections, skin eruptions.

The leaves are diuretic and are placed in bath water to relieve itching and painful shingles.

The dried flowers are emmenagogue and are also used in pregnancy and to help expel the placenta after giving birth.

The juice of the stems is vulnerary.

The fruit is antibacterial, diuretic, emmenagogue, hypotensive, ophthalmic and vasodilator. It is used in the treatment of abnormal menstruation, nebula and conjunctivitis.

The seed is aphrodisiac, diuretic, emmenagogue, ophthalmic and is also used in the treatment of various women's complaints. The plant was ranked number one in a survey of 250 potential antifertility plants in China. The seed is used in the treatment of conjunctivitis and night blindness.

The aerial parts of the plant are alterative, antibacterial, antifungal, depurative, diuretic, emmenagogue, hypotensive, vasodilator and vulnerary.

The whole plant is decocted, either on its own or with other herbs, as an ophthalmic. It is used in the treatment of abnormal menstruation, postpartum abdominal pain, tumours, uterine bleeding, oedema, eczema and purulent abscess. It is also used externally as a poultice for bruises.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonurus_japonicus
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Lamium album Uses & Ingredients

As an expectorant (auswurfförderndes funds) in diseases of the respiratory system - ie phlegm - and against flatulence. Means covers the plants are boiled skin swelling treated bumps, varicose veins and gout nodes. The nettle has a weak diuretic - used as a blood cleanser. An anti-inflammatory (anti-inflammatory) effect has been demonstrated through animal studies. This effect is mainly used against inflammation of the mouth and throat.

As the main active ingredients are mainly Lamalbid iridoid glycosides, and the next Caryoptosid Albosiden A + B.

Formerly the young shoots of the white dead nettle were eaten like a vegetable.

Ingredients
The plant contains tannins and gums as well as choline, saponins and essential oils in small quantities.


Source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wei%C3%9Fe_Taubnessel
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Jatropha Uses

A relevant usage is only at the physic nut (Jatropha curcas before). Because of their frugality they can even be grown in dry savanna areas. Despite the limited needs of the plant produces oil: Your seed has an oil content of more than 30%, which is on top with a cetane number of 60 (rape has only about 54) one of the most effective technically useful vegetable oils in the world. The cultivation is therefore especially rewarding, not only for the subsistence economy (oil production for own use), but also for resale on the international market.

Currently, the global area under cultivation is less than 1 million hectares, about 80% of this area accounts for attention to the Asian countries, especially India, China and Indonesia. But even in South America and Africa is the commercial jatropha cultivation is booming. New studies indicate that worldwide, there is a growing potential of about 30 million hectares.


Source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jatropha
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Gymnema sylvestre

Gymnema sylvestre R.Br. is a herb native to the tropical forests of southern and central India where it has been used as a naturopathic treatment for diabetes for nearly two millennia.Sanskrit Name : Meshasringi, Madhinasini or madhoolika, Hindi: Gurmar, Tamil and Malayalam are Sirukurinchaan(சிறுகுரிஞ்சான்), Amudhapushpam, Chakkarakkolli.

Large climbers, rooting at nodes, leaves elliptic, acuminate, base acute to acuminate, glabrous above sparsely or densely tomentose beneath; Flowers small, in axillary and lateral umbel like cymes, pedicels long; Calyx-lobes long, ovate, obtuse, pubescent; Corolla pale yellow campanulate, valvate, corona single, with 5 fleshy scales. Scales adnate to throat of corolla tube between lobes; Anther connective produced into a membranous tip, pollinia 2, erect, carpels 2,unilocular; locules many ovuled; Follicle long, fusiform1

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gymnema_sylvestre
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Guarea

Guarea is a genus of evergreen trees in the mahogany family Meliaceae, native to tropical Africa and Central and South America. They are large trees 20-45 m tall, with a trunk over 1 m trunk diameter, often buttressed at the base. The leaves are pinnate, with 4-6 pairs of leaflets, the terminal leaflet present. The flowers are produced in loose inflorescences, each flower small, with 4-5 yellowish petals. The fruit is a four or five-valved capsule, containing several seeds, each surrounded by a yellow-orange fleshy aril; the seeds are dispersed by hornbills and monkeys which eat the fleshy aril.


Uses
The timber is important; the African species are known as Bossé, Guarea, or Pink Mahogany, and the South American species as Cramantee or American Muskwood. It is said to possibly cause hallucinations if ingested.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guarea
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Erythrina

Erythrina (pronounced /ˌɛrɨˈθraɪnə/) is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family, Fabaceae. It contains about 130 species, which are distributed in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. They are trees, growing up to 30 m (98 ft) in height. The generic name is derived from the Greek word ερυθρóς (erythros), meaning "red," referring to the flower color of certain species.

Particularly in horticulture, the name coral tree is used as a collective term for these plants. "Flame trees" is another vernacular name, but may refer to a number of unrelated plants as well. Many species of Erythrina have bright red flowers, and this may be the origin of the common name. However, the growth of the branches can resemble the shape of sea coral rather than the color of Corallium rubrum specifically, and this is an alternative source for the name. Other popular names, usually local and particular to distinct species, liken the flowers' red hues to those of a male chicken's wattles, and/or the flower shape to its leg spurs. Commonly seen Spanish names for any local species are bucaré, frejolillo or porotillo, and in Afrikaans some are called kaffirboom. Mullumurikku is a widespread name in Kerala.

Description and ecology
Not all species of Erythrina have bright red flowers; the Wiliwili (E. sandwicensis) has extraordinary variation in its flower colour, with orange, yellow, salmon, green and white all being found within natural populations. This striking color polymorphism is likely unique in the genus.

All species have bean-like seedpods, except the sterile hybrid E. × sykesii. The resilient buoyant seeds are often carried by the sea for large distances and are commonly found "sea beans".

Erythrina leaves are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the swift moth Endoclita damor and the woolly bears Hypercompe eridanus and Hypercompe icasia. The mite Tydeus munsteri is a pest on the Coastal Coral Tree (E. caffra).

Many birds visit the nectar-rich Erythrina flowers. In the Neotropics, these are usually larger hummingbirds, for example the Swallow-tailed Hummingbird (Eupetomena macroura) and the Black-throated (Anthracothorax nigricollis) and Green-breasted Mango (A. prevostii) – though they seem not to be especially fond of E. speciosa at least, which they visit rather opportunistically. In Southeast Asia, the Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus) which usually does not eat nectar in quantity has been observed feeding on E. suberosa flowers, and mynas and of course more specialized nectar feeders also utilize coral tree flowers. Lorikeets such as the Collared Lory (Phigys solitarius) and the possibly extinct New Caledonian Lorikeet (Charmosyna diadema) are known to consume (or have consumed) large amounts of Erythrina nectar. The seeds are eaten by many birds, including the common Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula).

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythrina
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Traditional uses of False Daisy

Plant is bitter, hot, sharp, dry in taste and is used in ayurveda & "siddha" for the treatment of Kapha and Vata imbalances. In India, the plant is known as bhangra, "bhringaraj" or bhringraja. Another plant Widelia calendulacea is also known by the same name, but Eclipta has white flowers so called white bhangra and Widelia has yellow flower so it is called yellow Bhangra (Puri 2003).

The expressed leaf juice is applied along with honey is a popular remedy for catarrh in infants. A preparation obtained from the leaf juice boiled with sesame or coconut oil is used for anointing the head to render the hair black and luxuriant. An oil prepared with amla, bhringraj and sometimes with brahmi is well known in India as Amla Bhringraj oil, which is said to blacken the hair. Plant is rubbed on the gums in toothache and applied with a little oil for relieving headache and with sesame oil in elephantiasis. Roots of Eclipta alba are emetic and purgative.

In Ayurveda the plant is considered a rasayana for longevity and rejuvenation. Recent studies have shown that it has a profound antihepatotoxic activity. A cardiodepressant activity was also observed in it when used for hepatic congestion. A complete symptomatic relief in epigastric pain, nausea and vomiting in ulcer patients has also been observed (Puri 2003)

In Taiwan, entire plant is used as a remedy for the treatment of bleeding, haemoptysis, haematuria and itching, hepatitis, diphtheria and diarrhoea. In China, as a cooling and restorative herb, which supports the mind, nerves, liver and eyes. The leaf extract is considered to be powerful liver tonic, rejuvenative, and especially good for the hair. A black dye obtained from Eclipta alba is also for dyeing hair and tattooing. Eclipta alba also has traditional external uses, like athlete foot, eczema and dermatitis, on the scalp to address hair loss and the leaves have been used in the treatment of scorpion strings. It is used as anti-venom against snakebite in China and Brazil (Mors, 1991).

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eclipta_alba
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Catharanthus roseus

Catharanthus roseus (Madagascar Periwinkle) is a species of Catharanthus native and endemic to Madagascar. Synonyms include Vinca rosea (the basionym), Ammocallis rosea, and Lochnera rosea; other English names occasionally used include Cape Periwinkle, Rose Periwinkle, Rosy Periwinkle, and "Old-maid".

In the wild, it is an endangered plant; the main cause of decline is habitat destruction by slash and burn agriculture. It is also however widely cultivated and is naturalised in subtropical and tropical areas of the world.

It is an evergreen subshrub or herbaceous plant growing to 1 m tall. The leaves are oval to oblong, 2.5–9 cm long and 1–3.5 cm broad, glossy green, hairless, with a pale midrib and a short petiole 1–1.8 cm long; they are arranged in opposite pairs. The flowers are white to dark pink with a darker red centre, with a basal tube 2.5-3 cm long and a corolla 2–5 cm diameter with five petal-like lobes. The fruit is a pair of follicles 2–4 cm long and 3 mm broad

Cultivation and uses
The species has long been cultivated for herbal medicine and as an ornamental plant. In traditional Chinese medicine, extracts from it have been used to treat numerous diseases, including diabetes, malaria, and Hodgkin's disease. The substances vinblastine and vincristine extracted from the plant are used in the treatment of leukemia.

This conflict between historical indigenous use, and recent patents on C.roseus-derived drugs by western pharmaceutical companies, without compensation, has led to accusations of biopiracy.

It can be dangerous if consumed orally. It can be hallucinogenic, and is cited (under its synonym Vinca rosea) in Louisiana State Act 159.

As an ornamental plant, it is appreciated for its hardiness in dry and nutritionally deficient conditions, popular in subtropical gardens where temperatures never fall below 5 °C to 7 °C, and as a warm-season bedding plant in temperate gardens. It is noted for its long flowering period, throughout the year in tropical conditions, and from spring to late autumn in warm temperate climates. Full sun and well-drained soil are preferred. Numerous cultivars have been selected, for variation in flower colour (white, mauve, peach, scarlet and reddish-orange), and also for tolerance of cooler growing conditions in temperate regions. Notable cultivars include 'Albus' (white flowers), 'Grape Cooler' (rose-pink; cool-tolerant), the Ocellatus Group (various colours), and 'Peppermint Cooler' (white with a red centre; cool-tolerant).
C. roseus is used in plant pathology as an experimental host for phytoplasmas. This is because it is easy to infect with a large majority of phytoplasmas, and also often has very distinctive symptoms such as phyllody and significantly reduced leaf size.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catharanthus_roseus
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Cultivation and uses of Quince

Quince is resistant to frost and requires a cold period below 7 °C to flower properly. The tree is self fertile, however yield can benefit from cross fertilization. The fruit can be left on the tree to ripen further which softens the fruit to the point where it can be eaten raw in warmer climates, but should be picked before the first frosts.

Most varieties of quince are too hard, astringent and sour to eat raw unless 'bletted' (softened by frost and subsequent decay). They are used to make jam, jelly and quince pudding, or they may be peeled, then roasted, baked or stewed. The flesh of the fruit turns red after a long cooking time. The very strong perfume means they can be added in small quantities to apple pies and jam to enhance the flavour. Adding a diced quince to apple sauce will enhance the taste of the applesauce with the chunks of relatively firm, tart quince. The term "marmalade", originally meaning a quince jam, derives from "marmelo," the Portuguese word for this fruit. The fruit, like so many others, can be used to make a type of wine.

In Iran and other parts of the Middle East, the dried pits of the fruit are used to treat sore throat and to relieve cough. The pits are soaked in water; the viscous product is then drunk like cough medicine. It is commonly used for children, as it is alcohol free and 100% natural. A variety of quince which is grown in the Middle East, does not require cooking and is often eaten raw.

In Europe, quinces are commonly grown in central and southern areas where the summers are sufficiently hot for the fruit to fully ripen. They are not grown in large amounts; typically one or two quince trees are grown in a mixed orchard with several apples and other fruit trees. Charlemagne directed that quinces be planted in well-stocked orchards. Quinces are mentioned for the first time in an English text in the later 13th century, though cultivation in England is not very successful due to inadequate summer heat to ripen the fruit fully. Instead Chaenomeles bushes are grown - their fruit is regarded as a good substitute for quinces and they are known commonly as quinces. Quince juice, Quittensaft, is a common drink in Germany, which is also where the saying "A quince for you, a quince for me, quinces we shall eat" is believed to have originated. In the Balkans and elsewhere quince brandy is made.
In Slavonia, Croatia when a baby is born, quince tree gets planted as a symbol of fertility, love and life.

In Malta, a jam is made from the fruit (ġamm ta' l-isfarġel). According to local tradition, a teaspoon of the jam dissolved in a cup of boiling water relieves intestinal discomfort. In Lebanon, it is called sfarjel and also used to make jam. In Syria, quince is cooked in pomegranate paste (dibs rouman) with shank meat and kibbeh (a middle eastern meat pie with burghul and mince meat) and is called kibbeh safarjalieh. In Iran, quince is called beh (ﺑﻪ) and is used raw or in stews and jam, and the seeds are used as a remedy for pneumonia and lung disease. In parts of Afghanistan, the quince seeds are collected and boiled and then ingested to combat pneumonia. In Pakistan quinces are stewed together with sugar until they turn bright red. The resulting stewed quince, called Muraba is then preserved in jars and eaten like jam.
Quince was also introduced to the New World, but has become rare in North America due to its susceptibility to fireblight disease caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora. They are still widely grown in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. Almost all of the quinces in North American specialty markets come from Argentina. In Latin America the gel-like, somewhat adhesive substance surrounding the seeds was used to shape and style hair.

In Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Spain, Uruguay and Venezuela the membrillo, as the quince is called in Spanish, is cooked into a reddish jelly-like block or firm reddish paste known as dulce de membrillo. It is then eaten in sandwiches and with cheese, traditionally manchego cheese, or accompanying fresh curds. In Portugal, a similar sweet is called marmelada. It is also produced and consumed in Hungary where it is called "quince cheese". The sweet and floral notes of carne de membrillo (quince meat) contrast nicely with the tanginess of the cheese. Boiled quince is also popular in desserts such as the murta con membrillo that combines ugni molinae with quince. Similar dish exists in Dalmatia, Croatia.

Used as a rootstock for grafted plants, quince has the property of dwarfing the growth of pears, of forcing them to produce more precociously, and relatively more fruit-bearing branches, instead of vegetative growth, and of accelerating the maturity of the fruit.

In the Canary Islands and some places in South America a quince is used to play an informal beach toss-and-swim game, usually among young teens. When mixed with salt water a mature quince will turn its sour taste to sweet. The game is played by throwing a quince into the sea. All players race to catch the quince and whoever catches it, takes one bite and tosses the quince again, then the whole process gets repeated until the quince is fully eaten.

In the Alsace region of France and the Valais region of Switzerland liqueur de coing is made from quince and used as a digestif.

Quince can also be used as a tea additive to mainly green tea, giving it a rather sweetish taste and scent.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quince
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Morinda tinctoria

Morinda tinctoria, commonly known as Aal or Indian Mulberry (though these common names also refer to Morinda citrifolia), is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae, native to southern Asia.

It is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing to 5-10 m tall. The leaves are 15-25 cm long, oblong to lanceolate. The flowers are tubular, white, scented, about 2 cm long. The fruit is a green syncarp, 2-2.5 cm diameter.

The plant is extensively cultivated in India in order to make the morindone dye sold under the trade name "Suranji". Morindone is used for the dyeing of cotton, silk and wool in shades of red, chocolate or purple. The colouring matter is found principally in the root bark and is collected when the plants reach three to four years of age. If the trees are allowed to mature then hardly any colouring substance remains. The small roots yield the most dye and those above about 1 cm diameter are discarded. The active substance is extracted as the glucoside known as morindin that upon hydrolysis produces the dye. Morindone is a mordant dye giving a yellowish-red colour with an aluminium mordant, chocolate with a chromium mordant, and dull purple to black with an iron mordant.

Morindin is also present in Morinda umbellata but not in Morinda longiflora, a native of West Africa. Although imported into Britain and applied to wool and cotton, the dye did not find commercial success.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morinda_tinctoria
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Uses of Mammee apple

Medical uses
The tree has limited medical potential. Nevertheless antibiotic principles have been reported to be found in mammee apples. Besides, under-ripe fruits are rich in pectin and the tree bark in tannin.

In traditional medicines of Central and Southern America, powdered mammey seeds are used against parasitic skin diseases. Ground seeds are stirred into hot water to obtain an anthelmintic infusion.

In Trinidad & Tobago the grated seeds of the Mammy Apple are mixed with rum or coconut oil to treat head lice and chiggers.

Culinary interest
Though edible, this fruit has received little attention worldwide.

However the raw flesh can be served in fruit salads, or with wine, sugar or cream, especially in Jamaica. In the Bahamas, the flesh is first put in salted water in order to remove its bitterness, before cooking it with much sugar to make a sort of jam. The flesh can also be consumed stewed.

In the French West Indies, an aromatic liqueur, of the name of Eau de Créole, or Crème de Créole, is distilled from the mammee flowers. This liqueur is believed to be tonic or digestive.

In El Salvador, a mamey-flavoured carbonated drink called Kolashanpan is considered by most the national soda.

Other
Various parts of the tree contain insecticidal substances, especially the seed kernel. In Puerto Rico, mammee leaves are wrapped up around young tomato plants in order to keep mole crickets and cutworms away. In a similar way, the bark gum is melted with fat in Jamaica and Mexico, then applied to feet to fight against chiggers or to get rid of fleas on animals. The same effect is also obtained from infusions of half-ripe fruits.

In the Virgin Islands, the tannin from the bark is used to treat leather. The mammee timber is heavy and hard, yet easy to work. However, it has received only limited interest.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammee_Apple
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Pouteria lucuma

The lúcuma (Pouteria lucuma) is a subtropical fruit of Andean origin, native to southern Ecuador, Peru, and Chile. The fruit was first seen and reported by Europeans in Ecuador in 1531. It is sometimes known as lucmo. It is also called "eggfruit" in English, a common name also given to the closely related canistel (Pouteria campechina). The name "eggfruit" refers to the fruits' dry flesh, which is similar in texture to a hard-boiled egg yolk. The lucuma has particularly dry flesh which possesses a unique flavor of maple and sweet potato. It is a very nutritious fruit, having high levels of carotene, vitamin B3, and other B vitamins. The round or ovoid fruits are green, with a bright yellow flesh that is often fibrous. It grows at temperate elevations, between 1,000-2,400 metres. Temperatures of its elevated native range make the species technically subtropical, even though its native region is strictly tropical. It has been grown successfully in subtropical foothills of California. Attempts at growing lucuma in Florida's climate typically fail. In addition to Ecuador, Peru, and Chile, the fruit is grown also to a limited extent in Bolivia and Costa Rica. It grows well in most tropical regions, but is not widely favored. Within its own genus there are multiple species considered to have a superior flavor, such as the Mamey (Pouteria sapota), Abiu (P. caimito), Canistel (P. campechina), Green Sapote (P. viridis).

It has recently become popular as a dried powder flavoring, and production of fruits dried for export is increasing on a large scale. Lúcuma is a popular flavoring for ice cream in its native range, and in Peru even exceeds the demand for the only other commercially obtainable flavors in Peru, i.e. strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla.

Lucuma has been found on ceramics at burial sites of the indigenous people of coastal Peru . The Moche people had a fascination with agriculture and often chose to represent fruits and vegetables, including lucuma, in their art.


Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucuma
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Phoenix dactylifera

Phoenix dactylifera commonly known as the Date Palm, is a palm in the genus Phoenix, extensively cultivated for its edible sweet fruit. Due to its long history of cultivation for fruit, its exact native distribution is unknown, but probably originated somewhere in the desert oases of northern Africa, and also Western Asia. It is a medium-sized plant, 15–25 m tall, often clumped with several plants from a single root system, but often growing singly as well. The leaves are pinnate, 3–5 m long, with spines on the petiole and about 150 leaflets; the leaflets are 30 cm long and 2 cm broad. The full span of the crown ranges from 6 to 10 m.

The fruit is known as a date. The fruit's English name, as well as the Latin species name dactylifera, both come from the Greek word for "finger," dáktulos, because of the fruit's elongated shape. Dates are oval-cylindrical, 3–7 cm long, and 2–3 cm diameter, and when unripe, range from bright red to bright yellow in colour, depending on variety. Dates contain a single seed about 2–2.5 cm long and 6–8 mm thick. Three main cultivar groups of date exist: soft (e.g. 'Barhee', 'Halawy', 'Khadrawy', 'Medjool'), semi-dry (e.g. 'Dayri', 'Deglet Noor', 'Zahidi'), and dry (e.g. 'Thoory'). The type of fruit depends on the glucose, fructose and sucrose content.

The date palm is dioecious, having separate male and female plants. They can be easily grown from seed, but only 50% of seedlings will be female and hence fruit bearing, and dates from seedling plants are often smaller and of poorer quality. Most commercial plantations thus use cuttings of heavily cropping cultivars, mainly 'Medjool' as this cultivar produces particularly high yields of large, sweet fruit. Plants grown from cuttings will fruit 2–3 years earlier than seedling plants.

Dates are naturally wind pollinated but in both traditional oasis horticulture and in the modern commercial orchards they are entirely pollinated manually. Natural pollination occurs with about an equal number of male and female plants. However, with assistance, one male can pollinate up to 100 females. Since the males are of value only as pollinators, this allows the growers to use their resources for many more fruit producing female plants. Some growers do not even maintain any male plants as male flowers become available at local markets at pollination time. Manual pollination is done by skilled labourers on ladders, or in some areas such as Iraq they climb the tree using a special climbing tool that wraps around the tree trunk and the climber's back to keep him attached to the trunk while climbing. Less often the pollen may be blown onto the female flowers by a wind machine.
Parthenocarpic cultivars are available but the seedless fruit is smaller and of lower quality.

Dates ripen in four stages, which are known throughout the world by their Arabic names kimri (unripe), khalal (full-size, crunchy), rutab (ripe, soft), tamr (ripe, sun-dried). A 100 gram portion of fresh dates is a source of vitamin C[citation needed] and supplies 230 kcal (960 kJ) of energy. Since dates contain relatively little water, they do not become much more concentrated upon drying, although the vitamin C is lost in the process.

Dates are an important traditional crop in Turkey, Iraq, Arabia, and north Africa west to Morocco and are mentioned in many places in the Quran. In Islamic countries, dates and yogurt or milk are a traditional first meal when the sun sets during Ramadan. Dates (especially Medjool and Deglet Noor) are also cultivated in southern California, Arizona and southern Florida in the United States.

Date palms can take 4 to 7 years after planting before they will bear fruit, and produce viable yields for commercial harvest between 7 to 10 years. Mature date palms can produce 80–120 kilograms (176–264 lb) of dates per harvest season, although they do not all ripen at the same time so several harvests are required. In order to get fruit of marketable quality, the bunches of dates must be thinned and bagged or covered before ripening so that the remaining fruits grow larger and are protected from weather & pests such as birds.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Date_Palm
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Pouteria caimito

The abiu, also known as Pouteria caimito, is a tropical fruit tree located in the Amazonian region of South America. It will grow an average of 33 feet high, and can grow as high as 116 feet under good conditions. Its fruit’s shape varies from round to oval with a point. When ripe, it has smooth bright yellow skin and will have one to four ovate seeds. The inside of the fruit is translucent and white. It has a creamy and jelly-like texture and its taste is sweet like caramel. The abiu is part of the Sapotaceae family.
The tree grows best in tropical areas and in places that have a warm moist climate all year long. Propagation is nearly always by seeds. The new seeds will germinate quickly if they are fresh. After the seeds are planted, the tree will bear fruit in three or more years. Grafting and air layering will also be used to reproduce the upper strains of the plant.

A tree that has just been planted will be fragile and needs protection from wind and cold weather. It only requires light pruning and should be fed frequently, but lightly.
The leaves of the tree range from oblong to elliptic. The can be anywhere from four to eight inches in length and one and a half to two and a half inches in width. The flowers on the tree can come either by themselves or in clusters of two to five flowers. The will come in on the leaf axils on long, thin shoots. The flowers are small and have either four or five petals. The petals are cylindrical and will be white to greenish in color. The flowers are hermaphroditic, which means they are both sexes. The flowers open in the morning and can stay open for about two days.
The tree contains a fruit that is often eaten out of the hand. Each tree can produce around one hundred to one thousand fruits each year. The fruit has a sweet taste and is often used in ice cream. The skin of the fruit is a yellow color and can have a leathery texture. It has a white translucent pulp.

The fruit is also known as the yellow star apple or the caimito amarillo. In Colombia it is known as the camio. In Ecuador it is known as the luma, which is Spanish, and in Venezuela it is known as the temare. Other common names are madura verde, avio, and in Portugal it is known as the abieiro.

Uses
The fruit of the abiu tree is edible and is eaten out of hand in most cases. In Colombia, it is advised that if you eat the fruit, you grease your lips before eating it in order to keep the gummy latex from sticking to their lips. The fruit of the abiu is also used in ice cream. It can be cut up and put in yogurt for a light and delicious breakfast. Another way to serve the abiu is to scoop out the flesh and sprinkle a little limejuice on it to bring out the flavor, and then chill it. There are not a lot of ways to serve the abiu because it has a very subtle flavor and will be overcome by any other fruit if it is added to a fruit salad.

The wood of the abiu tree is dense, heavy, and hard and it is used in construction. In Brazil, people will eat the pulp in order to relieve coughs, bronchitis, and other pulmonary complaints because the pulp has a mucilaginous nature. Medically, it is used for many things such as adstringent, anti-anemic, and anti-inflammatory. It can help to stop a fever, stop diarrhea, stop coughs, and it also contains many helpful nutrients.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abiu
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Guaiacum sanctum

Guaiacum sanctum, commonly known as Holywood or Holywood Lignum-vitae, is a species of flowering plant in the creosote bush family, Zygophyllaceae.

It ranges from southern Florida in the United States and the Bahamas south to Central America and the Greater Antilles. It is threatened by habitat loss.

This tree is one of two species which yield the valuable Lignum vitae wood, the other being Guaiacum officinale. This small tree is slow growing, reaching about 7 m (23 ft) in height with a trunk diameter of 50 cm (20 in).

The tree is essentially evergreen throughout most of its native range. The leaves are compound, 2.5–3 cm (0.98–1.2 in) in length, and 2 cm (0.79 in) wide.

The blue flowers have five petals which yield a yellow fruit with red flesh and black seeds. Guaiacum sanctum is the national tree of the Bahamas.



Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guaiacum_sanctum



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Morus rubra

Morus rubra, commonly known as the Red Mulberry, is a species of mulberry native to eastern North America, from northernmost Ontario and Vermont south to southern Florida and west to southeast South Dakota and central Texas. Although common in the United States, it is listed as an endangered species in Canada.

Red Mulberry is a deciduous tree, growing to 10-15 m tall, rarely 20 m, with a trunk up to 50 cm diameter. The leaves are alternate, 7-14 cm long and 6-12 cm broad, simple, broadly cordate, with a shallow notch at the base, typically unlobed on mature trees although often with 2-3 lobes, particularly on young trees, and with a finely serrated margin. The upper surface of the leaves is noticeably rough, similar in texture to fine sandpaper, and unlike the lustrous upper surface of the leaves of White Mulberry (M. alba). The underside of the leaves is covered with soft hairs. The leaf petiole exudes milky sap when severed. It is hardy to -25° Celsius (USDA Zone 5).

The flowers are relatively inconspicuous: small, yellowish green or reddish green, and opening as leaves emerge. Male and female flowers are usually on separate trees although they may occur on the same tree.

The fruit is a compound cluster of several small drupes, similar in appearance to a blackberry, 2-3 cm long, red ripening dark purple, edible and very sweet with a good flavor.

Uses
The first English colonists to explore eastern Virginia in 1607 mentioned the abundance of both mulberry trees and their fruit, which was eaten, sometimes boiled, by the native Powhatan tribes. Today it is sometimes still eaten by those lucky enough to come across it.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Mulberry
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Whisky Distilleries in Japan

There are currently around ten whisky distilleries in Japan, these include:

• Yamazaki: owned by Suntory, located between Osaka/Kyoto on the main island of Honshū.
• Hakushu: also owned by Suntory, located in Yamanashi on the main island of Honshū.
• Yoichi: owned by Nikka, located on the Northern island of Hokkaidō. Nikka is a part of Asahi Breweries.
• Sendai / Miyagikyo: also Nikka, located to the North of the main island, near the city of Sendai.
• Fuji-Gotemba: owned by Kirin, located at the foot of Mt Fuji in Shizuoka.
• Karuizawa: owned by Mercian (a part of Kirin), located near to the town of Karuizawa in Nagano on the main island of Honshū.
• Hanyu: located in Saitama prefecture near Tokyo on the main island. Sometimes also referred to as Golden Horse or Chichibu. Closed in 2004.
• Chichibu: located near Chichibu in Saitama Prefecture. This is the new Chichibu distillery, founded by Ichiro Akuto, grandson of the distiller at Hanyu. It opened in 2008.
• Shinshu: owned by Hombo, located in Nagano on the main island of Honshū.
• White Oak: owned by Eigashima Shuzou, located in Hyogo on the main island of Honshū.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_whisky

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Jack Daniel's

Jack Daniel's is a brand of Tennessee whiskey that is among the world's best-selling liquors and is known for its square bottles and black label.

It is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee by Jack Daniel Distillery, which has been owned by the Brown-Forman Corporation since 1956. Despite the operational distillery, Jack Daniel's home county of Moore is a dry county.

According to the Jack Daniel's website, founder Jasper Newton "Jack" Daniel was born in September 1850, although seemingly no one knows the exact date because the birth records were destroyed in a courthouse fire.

If the 1850 date is correct, he might have become a licensed distiller at the age of 16, as the distillery claims a founding date of 1866. Other records list his birth date as September 5, 1846, and in his 2004 biography Blood & Whiskey: The Life and Times of Jack Daniel author Peter Krass maintains that land and deed records show that the distillery was actually not founded until 1875.

Daniel was one of thirteen children to Calaway Daniel and his mother Lucinda Cook. Jack Daniel's grandfather, Joseph "Job" Daniel emigrated from England as did his Scottish wife to the United States. He was of Scots-Irish and Scottish descent.

Jack died in 1911 from blood poisoning which started from an infection. The infection allegedly began in one of his toes, which Daniel injured one early morning at work by kicking his safe in anger when he could not get it open (he was said to always have had trouble remembering the combination).

Because Jack Daniel never married and did not have any children, he took his favorite nephew, Lem Motlow, under his wing. Lem was very skilled with numbers, and was soon doing all of the distillery's bookkeeping.

In 1907, due to failing health, Jack Daniel gave the distillery to his nephew. Lem Motlow then gave the distillery to his children, Robert, Reagor, Dan, Conner, and Mary, after his death in 1947.



Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Daniel%27s


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Madeira wine

Madeira is a fortified Portuguese wine made in the Madeira Islands. The wine is produced in a variety of styles ranging from dry wines which can be consumed on their own as an aperitif, to sweet wines more usually consumed with dessert.

Cheaper versions are often flavored with salt and pepper for use in cooking. The islands of Madeira have a long winemaking history dating back to the Age of Exploration when Madeira was a standard port of call for ships heading to the New World or East Indies.

To prevent the wine from spoiling, neutral grape spirits were added. On the long sea voyages, the wines would be exposed to excessive heat and movement which transformed the flavor of the wine as the wine producers of Madeira found out when an unsold shipment of wine returned to the islands after a round trip.

Today, Madeira is noted for its unique winemaking process which involves heating the wine up to temperatures as high as 60°C (140°F) for an extended period of time and deliberately exposing the wine to some levels of oxidation.

Due to this unique process, Madeira is a very robust wine that can be quite long lived even after being opened. Most countries limit the use of the term Madeira or Madère to only those wines that come from the Madeira Islands.

In Europe, this principle is enshrined in the European Union by Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status.



Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeira_wine



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