GARDENPLANTS

RSBS 18 August 2011

Jonathan Loh You Qing

OVERVIEW

Herbs & Spices Fruits

Toxic Plants

Medicinal Plants

SPICES“I often quote myself. It adds spice to

my conversations.”- George Bernard Shaw

SPICES: Outline

• History & uses• Aroma & essential oils (volatile

organic oils)

History & Uses

• Peppercorn & currency• Funeral pyres & anointing• The Spice Trade (3BC – 19th Century)

• Mainly…enhancing flavours

• Intro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bttLYrg9CzI

Coriander

• Coriandrum sativum; Family Umbelliferae

• Leaves, fruits used• Uses (fruits):– 45% of curry powder– Diuretic, carminative,

stomachic, emmenagogue, aphrodisiac properties

– Essential oils for pharmaceuticals

Coriander

• Fruits:– Essential oils (0.4-

1.0% Vol./Weight), mainly linalool (floral with touch of spiciness)

–Minor; a-pinene, g-terpinene, geranyl acetate, camphor, geraniol

• Roots, stems, leaves: Aldehydes

Chinese Matrimony Vine

Chinese Matrimony Vine

• Lycium chinensis; Family Solanaceae

• Native to China, Japan (bonsai plant)• Fruits used• TCM tonic: leaves into tea, fruits into

wine• Seeds: aphrodisiac properties, roots:

antifebrile, antirheumatic tonic

Chinese Matrimony Vine

• Fruits rich in carotene (more orange, more β-carotene)

– Carotenes & photosynthesis– Protect plant against UV– Prevent decline in cognition– Anti-oxidant– Pro-Vitamin A (vision)

Torch Ginger

Torch Ginger

• Etlingera elatior; Family Zingiberaceae

• Flowering shoot: laksa, rojak

What’s common?

The spices lah!

• Braised pork belly/pig’s trotters:– Star anise– Cloves– Cinnamon– Garlic

• Briyani:– Star anise– Nutmeg– Cumin– Pepper– Cloves– Cardamom– Cinnamon– Coriander– Ginger– Onions– Garlic

Cinnamon

Cloves

• Syzgium aromaticus; Family Myrtaceae

• Native to the Moluccas (Indonesia), used since the time of Christ

• Major spice in spice trade

Cloves

• Dried unopened flower buds used• Essential oils: eugenol, eugenyl

acetate, b-caryophyllene• Distillation into clove oil for

perfumes, cleaning agent, poultices, stomach rub

Cardamom

• Elettaria cardamom; Family Zingiberaceae• Dried whole fruits, seeds used• One of the most expensive (labour in harvesting,

processing; ripening irreg.)• Essential oil from seeds: 1,8-cinerole, a-terpinyl

acetate, oleoresin• Heart tonic, carminative, diuretic, laxative,

stomachic

Star Anise

Star Anise

• Illicium verum; Family Illiaceae• More in Chinese than Western

cooking• Treatment of lumbago, vomiting,

promote menstruation

Star Anise

• Catechin, pro-anthocyanidin• Essential oils:– Anethole (liquorice taste)– Chavicol (peppery tatse)– Anisaldehyde (vanilla-like taste)

• Manufacture of Tamiflu: Shikimic acid

FRUITS      “Everyone who enjoys thinks that the principal thing to the tree is the fruit, but in point of fact the principal

thing to it is the seed. -- Herein lies the difference between them that create and them that enjoy.”

- Friedrich Nietzsche

FRUITS: Outline

• Basic fruit structure• Classification: By Placentation • Classification: By Fruits

• Intro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6rFCMTfFog

Basic Fruit Anatomy

Placentation

• Marginal– Blue pea

• Parietal– Papaya

• Laminar / Superficial– Water lily

• Axile– Tomato

• Free-central– Kiwi

• Basal– Sunflower

FRUITS

A. Simple

i. Succulent

Berry

Hesperidia

Pepo

Pome Drupe

ii. Dry

Dehiscent

Follicle Legume

Capsule

Indehiscent

Achene

Caryopsis

Nut

Samara

Schizocarp

B. Aggregate C. Multiple

S. A. M.

• Simple:– Formed from 1 flower; ovary has 1 carpel /

many fused carpels.

• Aggregate:– Develop from 1 flower with many free

carpels; 1 fruit from 1 carpel.– E.g. Strawberry

• Multiple:– Develop from inflorescence as a bunch.– Juicy part: stalk holding bracts up.– E.g. Pineapple

AndroeciumPistil

Corolla Calyx

S > Succulent > Berry

• Pericarp fleshy throughout• No hard stony endocarp• Many seeds embedded in pulp

S > Succulent > Berry

• Hesperidia:– Epicarp, mesocarp fused to form thick

layer– Endocarp membranous, divides central

pulp into little sections

S > Succulent > Berry

• Pepo:– Outer wall of pericarp develops from

receptacle, becomes firm and hard– Inside remains soft with seeds

embedded

S > Succulent > Pome

• Fleshy part: fusion of receptacle & fruit wall

Epicarp

S > Succulent > Drupe

• Pericarp divided into epicarp (outer skin), mesocarp (thick, fleshy), endocarp (stony)*Coconut: mesocarp- fibrous husk, endosperm- white flesh

S > Dry > Dehiscent

• Dehiscents: Split open when ripe, scattering seeds

S > Dry > Dehiscent

• Follicle:– Forms from 1 ovary with 1 carpel, splits open

on only 1 side– Peony

S > Dry > Dehiscent

• Legume:– Fruit forms from 1 ovary with 1 carpel;

split open on 2 sides– Blue Pea

• Capsule:– Fruit is many-seeded– Split in various ways– Carpels fused into an ovary– Durian

S > Dry > Indehiscent

• Indehiscents: Dry fruit wall, does not split open to release seeds; wall must decay before seeds released

S > Dry > Indehiscent

• Achene:– Fruit with single loose seed – Seed coat does not fuse with fruit wall– *Cypsela: calyx forms hair-like

structures, in Tridax

S > Dry > Indehiscent

• Caryopsis/Grain:– One-seeded fruit, seed coat fused with

fruit wall– Cereals, e.g. maize

S > Dry > Indehiscent

• Nut:– Pericarp becomes hard and

woody/leathery– Fruit formed from ovary where carpels

have fused– Usually 1 seed– Cashewnut, chestnut

S > Dry > Indehiscent

S > Dry > Indehiscent

• Samara:– Outer wall of pericarp flattened (angsana,

Casuarina)– Sepals enlarged to form wing-like structures

(Dipterocarpus)– Fruit has 1 or 2 seeds

S > Dry > Indehiscent

• Schizocarp:– Fruits formed from ovary where carpels fused– Ripening, carpels split open; each part

indehiscent, does not release seed– Desmodium, carrot, castor

Join the Organic Rebellion at:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVrIyEu6h_E

MEDICINAL PLANTS

“The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while Nature cures the disease.”

- Voltaire

Jackfruit

• Artocarpus heterophyllus; Family Moraceae• Chemicals: acetylcholine, hydrocyanic acid• Burma, China, Philippines: sap used to treat

ulcers, abscesses (area swollen with pus)• Fruit pulp: cooling agent, tonic• Roots: treat diarrhoea, wood for convulsions

Durian

• Durio zibethinus; Family Bombacaceae• Malays: deconcoction of roots to treat

lingering fever; deconcoction of leaves as bath for jaundice treatment

Singapore Rhododendron

• Melastoma malabathricum; Family Sendudok

• Malaysia, Indonesia: Leaves as remedy for diarrhoea, dysentery; wash for ulcers and smallpox pastules so scars do not develop

Pomegranate

• Punica granatum; Family Punicaceae• Chemicals: Pelletierine, resin• Dried fruit skin: treat diarrhoea, rectocele

– High astringent tannin content, antidiarrhoeal activity

• Bark: treat bad breath, nose bleeding, piles, sore throat

• Leaves: treat itch; (+ roots): treat irregular menstruation

• Flowers: treat burns

Cacao Tree

• Theobroma cacao; Family Sterculiaceae

• Chemicals: Caffeine, theobromine• Deconcoction of roots used in

Philippines to increase menstrual flow, induce abortion

Lalang

• Imperata cylindrica; Family Gramineae• Chemicals: Anemonin, oxalic acid, saponin• Underground stem: treat cough, coughing of

blood, influenza, blood in urine, internal bleeding, jaundice, kidney diseases

• Roots: diuretic, contain fever, stop bleeding• Flowers: blood in sputum (saliva & mucus), nose

bleeding, quench thirst

Hydrangea

• Hydrangea macrophylla; Family Saxifragaceae

• Chemical: Hydrocyanic acid• Flowers to treat malaria and heart

diseases• Leaves and shoots as antimalarial drug

Cupid’s Shaving Brush

• Emilia sonchifolia; Family Compositae

• Chemicals: Alkaloids• Leaves made into a tea, drunk to

reduce fever and treat dysentery

Pepper

• Piper nigrum; Family Piperaceae• Chemicals: chavicine, crytone, peperonal,

piperanine, piperetline, piperine, transpinocarveol• Treat colic, rheumatism, headache, diarrhoea,

dysentery, cholera, menstrual pains• Remove excessive gas in system, increase urine

flow

Lotus

• Nelumbo nucifera; Family Nymphaeaceae• Chemicals: Anonaine, armepavine, isoquercitrin, liriodenine,

nelumboside, nuciferine, oxoushinsunine, quercitin, roemerine

• Antidote for mushroom poisoning• Leaf, leaf stalk, underground stems, stamens:

astringent, haemostatic• Leaf + other herbs: treat sunstroke, diarrhoea, dysentery,

fever, dizziness, vomiting of blood• Stalks + other herbs: treat excessive bleeding from

uterus• Seeds: tonic

TOXIC PLANTS

“Lady Nancy Astor: Winston, if you were my husband, I'd poison your tea.

Churchill: Nancy, if I were your husband, I'd drink it.”

- Winston Churchill

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trWzDlRvv1M

Hydrangea

• All plant parts poisonous• Chemicals: febrifugine, hydrangenol, loganin• Abdominal pain, vomiting• Febrifugine a hundred times more active than

quinine as an antimalaria drug, practical application limited by toxicity

• Hydrangenol as an allergenic agent• Loganin bitter, laxative activity

Castor Oil Plant

• Ricinus communis; Family Euphorbiaceae• Toxic plant parts: seeds, leaves• Chemicals: ricin, ricinine• One of the most toxic plants known; burning

sensation in mouth, nausea, vomiting, severe pain in stomach, diarrhoea

• Single seed of 0.25g has lethal dose

Yellow Sage

• Lantana camara; Family Verbenaceae• Toxic plant parts: leaf, stem, berries• Chemicals: Lantadene A, B• 1 of 10 most toxic weeds in the world; vomiting,

diarrhoea, fall into coma, liver damage• Common in sheep in NE Australia, India

THAT’S ALL, FOLKS!