Medicinal Trees Birch (Betula papyrifera, nigra, lenta )

Native to northern and eastern North America, birch trees possess concentrations of salicylic acid, the predecessor of aspirin. Although birch products were never widely used, folk medicine called for chewing birch twigs to relieve headache and pain. Willows (Salix spp.) also contain the pain-reducing acid.

Medicinal Trees Nux vomica (Strychnos nux-vomica )

The deadly poison strychnine comes from the seeds of this Asian tree. In small amounts, or mixed with other drugs, strychnine can become a heart stimulant or tonic.

Water and Trees

By Liliana Usvat
Blog179-365

 In the early part of the first millennium B.C., Persians started constructing elaborate tunnel systems called qanats for extracting groundwater in the dry mountain basins of present-day Iran. Qanat tunnels were hand-dug, just large enough to fit the person doing the digging. Along the length of a qanat, which can be several kilometers, vertical shafts were sunk at intervals of 20 to 30 meters to remove excavated material and to provide ventilation and access for repairs.

 The main qanat tunnel sloped gently down from pre-mountainous alluvial fans to an outlet at a village. From there, canals would distribute water to fields for irrigation. These amazing structures allowed Persian farmers to succeed despite long dry periods when there was no surface water to be had. Many qanats are still in use stretching from China on the east to Morocco on the west, and even to the Americas.


  General Schematic for a Qanat.
(1) Infiltration part of the tunnel
(2) Water conveyance part of the tunnel
(3) Open channel
(4) Vertical shafts
(5) Small storage pond
(6) Irrigation area
(7) Sand and gravel
(8) Layers of soil
(9) Groundwater surface

 Here is an example of  an air condition system using underground water.

 

I found some old documents 600 years old of water systems used in  Middle East that I found fascinating.

Here is an example of garden realized with these type of hydraulic systems. Alhambra Garden in Spain

Medicinal Trees -Calabash Tree good treatment for menstrual cramps

By Liliana Usvat
Blog 181-365

 
If you want an eye-grabbing, evergreen ornamental plant for your landscape, the calabash tree (Crescentia cujete), known in Hawai'i as the la'amia, is your "lock" of the season

With its continually emerging flowers and subsequent fruit, the gourds that hang like Christmas ornaments, la'amia creates a focal point in the garden or as a riveting specimen near a deck or patio.

Rediscovering  Traditional Medicine


Before modern medicine developed laboratory drugs, our ancestors, the world over used herbs and weeds for health. Using a combination of medicinal plants and prayers, shamans and healers treated both the physical and spiritual ailments of their communities.

Today the knowledge is all but lost; however, scientific communities from the western world have shown a new interest in the medicinal properties of tropical plants. For example, the National Cancer Institute started the Belize Ethnobotany Project, which has sent of 2,000 species back to the NCI to be studied for cancer fighting properties.

Calabash Tree
 
Calabash Tree can grow up to twenty five feet in height. The tree produces green coloured spherical fruits about twelve inches to sixteen inches in diameter. It has a woody shell and a pulpy inside. When dry it turns brownish and can be hollowed out to make receptacles, cups, bowls and ladles. Its pulp is believed to contain medicinal properties.


Native to subtropical and tropical regions of the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and northern South America, la'amia probably have been cultivated for more than 600 years.
 
Relatively fast-growing, la'amia have a short, straight trunk with an open crown of contorted, horizontal or rising branches. They will grow at sea level, up to an altitude of about 2,300 feet. The four- to six-inch-long elliptical leaves are bright green and create a moderate shade cover.


Medicinal Uses

There are abundant traditional and historical medicinal applications of the fruit juice. 
In Haiti and St. Lucia, it is used to treat inflammation, trauma and diarrhea. It's a purgative in Costa Rica. In Venezuela, it is used to treat tumors and hematomas.

It is said that the fruit of the Calabash Tree when roasted is a good treatment for menstrual cramps or to induced childbirth and that the leaf can be used in tea to treat colds, diarrhea, dysentery and headaches. 
 
In Suriname's traditional medicine, the fruit pulp is used for respiratory problems such as asthma. 

Medical Researchers have found out that the seed has been effective as an abortive and the fruit pulp can be used to force menses, birth and afterbirth. Scientists also recommend that it is best not to use this plant while pregnant.

Other Uses
 
 The shells are often used as bowls, musical instruments or carved by artisans into interesting artifacts.


Carib Indians of Dominica would carve intricate designs into the woody gourds during the fruit's softer green phase. When dry, the la'amia gourds were permanently etched with these ornate motifs.

The Taino also turned the gourds into two rhythm instruments — maracas and the guiro. Maracas were fashioned from small oval gourds with pebbles or hard seeds such as rosary peas inside. In Hawai'i, the body of the modern 'uli'uli is customized from the la'amia gourd. Seeds of the introduced yellow or red flowered canna lily, ali'ipoe, are used to produce the rattling sound.
 


History
 
The calabash was one of the first cultivated plants in the world, grown not for food, but as containers.
The calabash or bottle gourds are a type of vegetable that grows on a tree or vine introduced to the Bahamas by its first settlers.

These people originally of Asiatic descent, known as "Lucayans" in the Bahamas, spooned out the soft flesh from the inside of this vegetable, which left behind the hard rind. This rind became their water bottles during hunting and canoeing trips and bowls for food. Amerindians, Africans and Asians have used bottle gourds not only for food and utilitarian purposes, but also as medicine bottles, drums, flutes, stringed instruments and pipes.

Precisely because of its wide diversity globally and being local to the Bahamas, the name Calabash now represents the diversity in our Eco Adventures such as biking, snorkeling, diving, kayaking, birding and hiking.

Good for Reforestation and Parks Design

La'amia have a deep root system and are resistant to drought. No pests or major diseases are of major concern, but Chinese rose beetles and a leaf-webbing caterpillar occasionally will be bothersome.

Breadfruit (Artocarpus Altilis) used for high blood pressure and a cure for headache.

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Breadfruit  leaves are used for high blood pressure. The leaves slightly crushed, are also bound on the head and forehead as a cure for headache.

Arrowroot used for smallpox sores, and as an infusion for urinary infections.

By Liliana Usvat
180-365

Arrowroot is an easily digested starch extracted from the roots of the arrowroot plant, Maranta arundinacea. The plant is native to the tropics of South America, where it has a long history of cultivation by native peoples. (Some Indians also used arrowroot medicinally, they believed that is would draw out toxins in wounds made from poisoned arrows.)

Medicinal Uses

Arrowroot  is native to South America and the Caribbean. The local  people use its root as a poultice for smallpox sores, and as an infusion for urinary infections. Arrowroot is used  as a soothing demulcent and a nutrient of benefit in convalescence and for easing digestion. It helps to relieve acidity, indigestion and colic, and is mildly laxative. It may be applied as an ointment or poultice mixed with some other antiseptic herbs such as comfrey.

Description
 
An extremely hardy perennial to 2 metres tall, shooting from a large purple/red, round rhizome/tuber that can be larger than a clasped fist. Tubers develop side shoots, forming a large mass of tubers that can be 60cm in diameter and weigh over 20kg.

Fleshy stalks, up to 1 metre long, shoot from eyes on the rhizome, and large, lush bright green leaves, 30-90cm long unfurl on thick stalks. Typical canna-shaped red flowers, but they are not as large as canna varieties that are grown as ornamentals. If planted in rich soil and given regular watering, this plant will grow vigorously, producing lush leaves and stalks and high yields of edible tubers

Food
 
When tubers are large and aged, they can be quite fibrous. Arrowroot can be eaten raw, or steamed, roasted, barbecued, diced finely and added to stir-fries, casseroles, stews, soups, in fact in any meat or savoury dish. Arrowroot does not have a lot of flavour on its own, but added to other ingredients; it makes a useful mealextender.


In a casserole or stew, it will look and taste similar to potato. It does take a little longer than potato to cook and does not cook mushy. We like arrowroot peeled, and cut into thin chips, like for potato chips, and baked in the oven on an oiled tray, until crisp and golden. Tubers are 2% protein and 24% carbohydrate.

To make Arrowroot Flour peel tubers and cut into 2- 3cm cubes, mince cubes or put in a blender with a little cold water and blend to a pulp. Tip the pulp into a bucket or large bowl and add more water. After a few minutes, the flour will sink to the bottom and brown fibrous liquid will come to the top, which is carefully drained off. Add more water and stir, and more fibre will come to the top, to be drained off.

After several rinses, the water on top will be clear with no brown fibre remaining. Drain off the water, and pour the thick white flour 1-2cm thick onto trays to dry in the sun. When it is dry it will be soft and flaky; bottle and store ready for use. The flour keeps well and does not go rancid with age. The flour yield is usually about 1/4 to 1/5 of the original weight of the tubers. Flour is used as a thickener for gravies, sauces, slice fillings, lemon butter, custard and pie fillings; and as a part wheat-flour alternative in biscuits, etc.

Forests by the Numbers

By Liliana Usvat
Blog 178-365

Over the past half century the earth's vast green mantle of forests has been reduced to tattered remnants. As the world's population has grown from 2.3 billion in 1950 to over 7 billion today, some 3 billion hectares (ha) of the world's original forest cover - nearly half - has been lost. The destruction continues: in each of the last dozen years, about 14.6 million hectares of forest - an area the size of Nepal - has been cut, bulldozed, or burned.

Forests cover 31 percent of the world’s land surface, just over 4 billion hectares. (One hectare = 2.47 acres.) 

This is down from the pre-industrial area of 5.9 billion hectares. According to data from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, deforestation was at its highest rate in the 1990s, when each year the world lost on average 16 million hectares of forest—roughly the size of the state of Michigan. 

Forest Loss

Overall, deforestation has been taking place at a pace of about 130 000 km² (13 million hectares) per year during the period 1990–2005 (an area the size of Greece), with few signs of a significant decrease over time. Though deforestation continues at an alarming rate, the annual net loss of forest area is decreasing due to tree planting and natural expansion of forests in some countries and regions. 

At the same time, forest area expanded in some places, either through planting or natural processes, bringing the global net loss of forest to 8.3 million hectares per year.  In the first decade of this century, the rate of deforestation was slightly lower, but still, a disturbingly high 13 million hectares were destroyed annually.

Net Loss of the Forest

As forest expansion remained stable, the global net forest loss between 2000 and 2010 was 5.2 million hectares per year.

Global rates of deforestation do not capture the full damage done to the world’s forests. Forest degradation from selective logging, road construction, climate change, and other means compromises the health of remaining forests. 

Each year the world has less forested area, and the forests that remain are of lower quality. For example, replacing natural old-growth forests with a monoculture of an exotic species greatly reduces biodiversity.

USA and Europe

The United States added a net 7.7 million hectares of trees between 1990 and 2010, around 380,000 hectares per year. Although the United States has experienced impressive forest regeneration within its own borders, it still contributes to deforestation as an importer of forest products—some $20 billion worth in 2011.

 The case in Europe is similar, where 2011 imports of forest products totaled $110 billion. Led by Spain, Italy, France, Norway, and Sweden, this region added a net 16 million hectares of forested area from 1990 to 2010. 

The general trend is that areas of primary forest and modified natural forest are decreasing, while the areas of semi-natural forest and forest plantation are increasing. 

Estimates indicate that about 60 000 km² per year of primary forest have been lost or modified by logging or other human interventions since 1990 (not considering losses in the Russian Federation), and there is no indication that the loss of primary forests is slowing down. 

In Brazil and Indonesia alone 49 000 km² of primary forest are lost on average per year. However, a number of countries which have been setting aside natural forest areas have registered increases in primary forest area, since with time, these areas evolve into forests which fit the definition of primary forests.  

Protective Forests

Recognizing the important protective role of forests, many countries have planted substantial areas of forests and trees for this purpose, for example to stabilize sand dunes or provide windbreaks.  

In 2005, the global area of protective forest plantations was 301 000 km² (a little less than 1% of global forest area). The ten countries with the largest area of protective forest plantations accounted for 85% of the global protective forest plantation area  

Questions:

1. Can we do something to change the forest destruction?
2. What should be done to make logging should be a thing of the past.?
3. How can we convince generation of people that the climate depend of the forested areas?
4. Can schools have an impact against the forest destruction?
5. How can the governments change their perception about the forest. The forest is not sourse of lumber but source of life, and oxigen.
6. How can we change the idea that is not ok to cut the forest in other countries while preserving our forests.
7. How can innovations and engineering modify t
   
   
   
   he need for wood? In the present there are power plants in USA and England that use wood as source of elecricity 
8. It is possible in our life time to have mandatory 1000 tree plantation per person the way some countries enforce mandatory participation to the army?
9. What about mandatory ownership of the land that a person plant trees and care for them?

South Korea Example

Some countries reforest on their own. South Korea is in many ways a reforestation model for the rest of the world in this respect. When the Korean War ended half a century ago, the mountainous country was largely deforested, much as Haiti is today. Beginning around 1960, under the dedicated leadership of President Park Chung Hee, the South Korean government launched a national reforestation effort. Today forests cover nearly 65 percent of the country, an area of more than 15 million acres.  

Sad Example of Countries that need intervention

International environmental groups such as Greenpeace and WWF have negotiated agreements to halt deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon and in parts of Canada’s boreal forests. Daniel Nepstad and colleagues reported in Science in 2009 on two recent developments that together may halt deforestation in the Amazon basin. One is Brazil’s Amazon deforestation reduction target that was announced in 2008, which prompted Norway to commit $1 billion if there is progress toward this goal. The second is a marketplace transition in the beef and soy industries to avoid Amazon deforesters in their supply chains.
 
Tips for Reforestation

1. Work with what you have. For the highest chance of satisfaction, aim for a natural looking forested area and not an artificially idyllic tree garden, working in harmony with what nature has presented you rather than in spite of it.

2. Think long term. . Choose varieties that are pest resistant, low maintenance and proven survivors in your area. Building a forest in an investment for a lifetime—treat it like one!

3. Choose ordinary over exotic. Look to see what types of plants and trees are already thriving in your area. This is Mother Nature giving you advice. While it might be tempting to plant some more unusual greenery, the safest bet is to mimic the already established ecosystems of your region.

4. Consider maintenance. While a well-established forest will basically take care of itself, young plants will need some care and attention beyond the work of planting and soil prep. Think about installing a drip irrigation system for the first years of your reforestation project, and use plenty of mulch.

5. Establish variety. Choose a number of different trees and shrubs, and plant some mature and some as seedlings. Forests are made up of plants and animals of all ages and types. While your woods will eventually self-perpetuate, you’ll need to give it something to work from. 

Romanian Folk Remedies - Onion Vapors Cure the Flu

By Liliana Usvat
Blog 177-365

Romanians got their Folk remedies from their ancestors Dacians a 9000 years old culture.

Two tablespoons of chopped onion place in 50 ml of warm water , add half a teaspoon of honey , leave to infuse for 30 minutes.   For stuffy nose and dripping nose use  three to five drops of the infusion.

 

 Eight to ten onions chopped boiled in a liter of hot milk until tender, then add a cup of honey. For angina take a spoonful of this decoction every hour throughout the day.  Gargle with a mixture of water, onion juice and table salt . 

 

For cough peel two medium sized onions , add a quarter cup of sugar, three to four cups of water and boil until you get a thick syrup . Take a tablespoon cite every three hours .  

 

For angina and abscesses use steam inhalations mix. The duration of treatment is 30-40 days, and after a month of rest , repeat therapy .  

 

Inhaling onion steam also cure the sniffles . As a means of inhalation, porridge of chopped onion or onion leaves freshly prepared is only active for 10 - l5 minutes (afterwards bactericidal action stop in contact with air).  

 

For flu in people are using so-called onion pads : give a quick grated onion, onion then packed in a piece of gauze and put 15 minutes into his nostrils in the morning, noon and night .

 

 Fresh onions are placed on wounds , burns , if the pus .  

 

The juice of onion and garlic ( in proportion 1:3 ) is used for inhalations if respiratory diseases : bronchitis , laryngitis , tracheitis . For inhalation it takes 2 ml of solution . 

 

For hemorrhoids bake an onion , peel , cut into small pieces , put into a cheesecloth and apply on the painful place (but). 

 

 For impotence may be used both fresh onions , as well as in the form of injection : Two or three chopped onions are placed in 400 ml of water, drinking 100 ml of the infusion  three times a day .

Ancient Forests of Dacians and Lost Knowledges about Medicinal Plants

By Liliana Usvat
Blog 176-365

The Dacians Latin: Daci,  were an Indo-European people, part of or related to the Thracians. Dacians were the ancient inhabitants of Dacia, located in the area in and around the Carpathian Mountains and west of the Black Sea.

This area includes the present-day countries of Romania and Moldova, as well as parts of Ukraine, Eastern Serbia, Northern Bulgaria, Slovakia, Hungary and Southern Poland.The Dacians spoke the Dacian language, believed to have been closely related to Thracian.

Forest

Carpathian-Danubian Forest then Dacia have a coverage of 70% of the country.

Dacians Origin of Trees Names

In Romanian  many terms that relate to the forest are of Dacian origin .

    Bunget - Oak Forest or portion dense forest and dark thicket ;
    Forest - Forest big thick old ;
    Oak - oak species ;
    Buds ;
    stone ;
    And so on




Folk Habits Related to TreesAll of the Gauls have the word " tree " that had a complex symbolism , was a series of events related to the life : marriage ( wedding guests accompanying the pine tree ) house construction ( attach a tree  on the top of the house on its completion ) , death ( pine tree accompanying the funeral procession ) .

More about Dacians

The typical dress of Dacians, both men and women, can be seen on Trajan's column.
Dio Chrysostom described the Dacians as natural philosophers.

History and Religion

According to Herodotus' account of the story of Zalmoxis or Zamolxis, the Getae (speaking the same language as the Dacians, according to Strabo) believed in the immortality of the soul, and regarded death as merely a change of country.

Their chief priest held a prominent position as the representative of the supreme deity, Zalmoxis, who is called also Gebeleizis by some among them.Strabo wrote about the high priest Decaeneus: "a man who not only had wandered through Egypt, but also had thoroughly learned certain prognostics through which he would pretend to tell the divine will; and within a short time he was set up as god .

Ancient Knowledge about Plants of the Forests 

Plants are considered living beings who hear, see, feel, suffer, have souls.

Thus under this belief is used to cure hernia willow, bush (Rosa canina) for epilepsy, elm to get rid of warts.

The popular wisdom asserts the importance of maintaining relations with the earth. ? peasants often walk barefoot in summer

Since the time of the Dacians , a number of plants growing in Romania, were known and employed as healing herbs , the reputation of some of them going so far as to popular perception appear today as endowed with extraordinary virtues .

Atropa belladona

 Many of these plants are considered sacred , as if  belladonna ( Atropa belladona ) . Other plants, such as garlic , Avrămeasa , lovage , wormwood , and others pay homage to the spirits or ghosts are nasty and used as such by the peasants.  

Love Heaven ( Sedum Fabara )

By meadows or near streams often increase a plant with pink flowers purple or mass called Love Heaven ( Sedum Fabara ) .

 In spring, this plant is brought from places where growing and planted in the garden of the house , instead of protected , clean, in the belief that love is protective , defending the people of the house of the wicked , who want to ruin it .

 In some villages, the flourishes , break one wire for each of the house, put the beam and the wire whose dry is said to die in that year , but if the winds increase as beam, is a sign that will live long . Weeds are collected cure both spring and fall.  

Sulfina

 Other plantshave well established data gathering . The Sulfina ( Melieotus officinale) is collected only on the day of Midsummer and Cross Day and Seminocul ( Medicago falcata ), also called vortex tighten only time Earth sickle .

Mătrăguna

 Mătrăguna ( Atropa belladonna ) is a plant hallucinating ( visions that gives consumption are similar to those given by Peyotl , but accompanied by terrifying experiences , affective disorders ) , such as those of Mrs. Forests , Ms. great Grass ( flower ) Forests , empress ( weeds ) , which is used in many magical practices . All parts of the plant , maiales roots , leaves and fruits are rich in alkaloids, with a strong action on the nervous system . Rite harvest mandrake must be achieved during the full moon in April-May 

Mătrăguna  Although dangerous , the poisonous Mătrăguna is sometimes used for various diseases of long duration , eating her giving a kind of " crazy " followed by complete healing . Few but those who resort to this means , it can even lead to death . Mătrăguna medicinal purposes only , collected all the ritual , was put on the bumps. Leafy surrounds treat cough and kneaded root is used against rheumatism.

(beasts grass - Actaea spicata)

Miraculous plant Romanians awarded the highest magical virtues beasts grass - Actaea spicata  . So who and embed it under the skin of the palm , can not even handcuffed , the touch can unlock any lock. Does ownership that the one who possesses the weapons to defend iron , attract money to her master , gives understanding the language of animals and plants. With it you can open locked doors that lead to hidden treasures underground . Beliefs about this unusual plant ; It is said that it is very difficult , and only a few people possess , being able to open any lock , any lock. It is believed that there is one common herbs , but only one year stay in the same place , in the second year three rivers rising and so on, until the ninth year , when it returns to the same place .

Angelica ( Angelica arhangelica )

A herb elixir that maintain youth and health is Angelica ( Angelica arhangelica ) .  

Henbane ( Hyoscyamus niger )

Henbane ( Hyoscyamus niger ) , also called Nebunariţă grows near roads, greasy and wet places among the rubble , scavenging generally through pathless places . Its seeds are small, black and sit in a capsule cap top. In villages , the seeds were employed Măselariţei the pain of toothache .

Elderberry ( Sambucus nigra )

Elderberry ( Sambucus nigra ) is a small tree spread on the rivers , along fences, in places forgotten by forests. Does honey and flowers recognized medical virtues , and the branches were in the middle a white pith removed easily , which explains their use in the manufacture of whistles. It is said that a ghost lives in Soc enemy who keeps treasures buried beneath it , leaving no one to approach them. Flower Cottage shock întrebunţează cough medicine has emphysema ( drink the infusion) , hoarseness ( making a stew of elderflower and chamomile to drink at bedtime , wrapped well sickly sweat ) , pox of wind ( chickenpox ) and scrophula ( tonsillitis ) . From elderflower prepare a refreshing drink , Socata , which many Romanian consumed as a spring cleaning . Elder flower tea increases the amount of milk in lactating women .

Garlic ( Allium sativum )

Both Garlic ( Allium sativum ) autumn, and the summer ( especially after the manner of planting ) is used in various remedies , incantations and spells . The fall , however , as connoisseurs say , is much better at cures and spells . Garlic is the best defense against unclean spirits .

Avrămeasca ( Gratiola officinalis )

In the category of spirits and ghosts plant reject part and Avrămeasca ( Gratiola officinalis ) (also called compassionate and Christian ) . It is a poisonous plant with irritating properties and is considered a drastic emetic dangerous.

Boz ( Sambucus ebulus )

The plant which legally has the same medicinal properties as shock pharmaceuticals , but much the stronger is called Boz ( Sambucus ebulus ) . He is directly involved in the rites of invocation of rain in times of drought or certain important days in the calendar view in the development of vegetation .

SANZIENELE ( called Nedeia or Dragaica )

SANZIENELE ( called Nedeia or Dragaica ), which is taken on 24 June . These plants are fragrant golden yellow flowers that grow in meadows , the orchards or forest edges . Midsummer night is the night of June 24 , the night everywhere recognized today as having magical virtues . In the middle of the night is set for a quiet time when the scales are all phenomenal , is a point of contact between our world and the " other world " .