Monday, August 31, 2015

Peruvian Forest - Tawari Tree used to treat infection, cancer, tumors and inflammation

By Liliana Usvat    
Blog 354-365


Medicinal Uses

The bark of the tawari tree is used to treat infection, cancer, tumors and inflammation.













Nowadays Tawari is used all around the world as a vegetable medicine (phytofarmacum). In South America it is considered to be astringent, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, fungicide and aperient, also used for ulcers, syphilis, gastrointestinal disorders, candidoses, cancer, diabetes, prostrate, obstructions and allergy. In the herbal medicine of the USA it is considered to be as a bearer of analgetic, anti-oxidate, anti-parasite, anti-microbe, fungicide, antivirus, anti-inflammatory, purgative and also anti-cancer features.


 It is used for external and internal treatment of fevers, infections, cold, flu, syphilis, cancer, respiratory problems, derm ulcers, dyzentery, gastro-interstinary problems of all kinds, artritidy, prostrate and circulate non-adequancies. Other, previously treated and registrated stages, are diabetes, lupus, ulcers, leucemy, allergy, hepatic problems, Hodgkins disease, osteomyelitidy, Parkinson disease and psoriasis.
 
 It is also a very popular instrument for treatment of leaver infections. 



Tawari has a long, well documented history of the Indian rainforest natives usage who used several kinds of Tabebuia including T.serratifolia,T.chrysantha, T.heptaphylla, T.impetiginosa, T.rosea. 
 
 There are indicia about using this trees also by Inks. In fact the clans living thousands miles away used also their treatment effects. Some of the native Indian tribes from tropical rainforests used the wood for manufacturing the bows and arrows and that is why they called this tree in breastsummer ,,bow,,. Indians from the Guarani and Tupi tribe call the tree ,,tajy,, what means to “have the strength and spirit,, and they use the crust on various medicine methods. 

The native use covers the stages as malary, anemia, respiratory problems, cold, cough, flu, mould infections, fever, artrididy, rheumatism, against the snakebite, bad blood circulation, syphilis, ulcers and cancer.

Traditional enthomedicinal uses:
For reducing the blood sugar level, reduction of gassiness, treatments of bile stones, liver diseases, infection diseases and for a complete repair of organism, the bast is used as a draught prepared apr. 20-25 minutes on a very mild fire (under a cover) in the ratio 10:1000.

Phytoterapeutic properties:
Analgetic, anti-bacterial, fungicide,anti-inflammatory, anti-saprophytic, antioxidative, anti-mutagenous, anti-leucemic, antirheumatic, anti-carcinogen, antiviral, cytotoxic, immunostimulant, laxative.


Family: Bignoniaceae (Trumpet creeper family)

Genus: Tabebuia Specie: serratifolia (Jacq.) Nich.

Common names: Pau d’arco, abano, acapro, araguanei, chacaradanga, chonta, curarire, roxo, lapacho, tahuari, taheebo, trumpet tree, 


Description

Tabebuia spp. is a big tree situated in some parts of south-american tropical rainforests. It usually grow up to the height of 150 feet and the trunk base is in average between 4-6 feet. The tribe Tabebuia include a big amount of big and beautifully blooming trees, e.g. serratifolia, ochracea,chrysantha and others, which have concretely big and lovely violet flowers. The tribes of Tabebuias are very common picture of the south-american country and cities, just for their beauty. Unfortunately they are also very popular for companies, which lumber the wood - due to very resistant and tough wood, which is commonly used on houses constructions even on ships and agricultural tools.


Nowadays Tawari is used all around the world as a vegetable medicine (phytofarmacum). In South America it is considered to be astringent, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, fungicide and aperient, also used for ulcers, syphilis, gastrointestinal disorders, candidoses, cancer, diabetes, prostrate, obstructions and allergy. In the herbal medicine of the USA it is considered to be as a bearer of analgetic, anti-oxidate, anti-parasite, anti-microbe, fungicide, antivirus, anti-inflammatory, purgative and also anti-cancer features.


 It is used for external and internal treatment of fevers, infections, cold, flu, syphilis, cancer, respiratory problems, derm ulcers, dyzentery, gastro-interstinary problems of all kinds, artritidy, prostrate and circulate non-adequancies. Other, previously treated and registrated stages, are diabetes, lupus, ulcers, leucemy, allergy, hepatic problems, Hodgkins disease, osteomyelitidy, Parkinson disease and psoriasis.

 It is also a very popular instrument for treatment of leaven infections.
 


The chemical components and active units of Tabebuia tribe are very well documented. Its usage and recorded results of the treatment of various kinds of cancer in the first decade of the sixtith years accelerated most of the research about this plant. 

 Its against-cancer features were firstly fastened on the phytochemical called lapachol which is located in the crust and in the wood. In the study from the year 1968, lapachons proved a significant effect against cancer´s tumours of rats.

Sequentialy in the year 1974, NCI recorded that in the first stage of clinical tests lapachons did not banish the terapeutical effect without sequential side effects and that is why was interupted the cancer research.

 An another important researching group developed in 1975 lapachol which very effectively extended the life-span about more than 80% at mouses inoculated by leucemic cells. In the short study from the year 1980 at 9 patients with various kinds of cancer (liver, kidney, breast, prostate, cervix) recorded that the pure lapachol showed the ability to reduce the tumours and to reduce the feeling of pain caused by tumours and demostrated the complete remission at three patients.

Beside lapachol it consists at least 20 other active components to which are imputed various effects. It was clearly proved the often medical using in a big number of diseases caused by microorganisms which interprete us its wide range of using in nature medicine. 


The effects probably come from a bigger feed of oxigene on the local level, killing the bacterias, virus, mould and parasites. The anti-microbe characteristics were clinicaly verified in many studies and they show strong effects at gram-positive bacterias and moulds, including Candida, Staphylococcus, Trichophyton, Brucella, Tuberculosis, Pneumonie, Streptococcus and Shigella. 

These components further deported the significant anti-virus character at virus like Herpes I and II, Influenza, Poliovirus and Vesicular stomatitis virus. Its anti-parasite effects showed in malaria, Schistosoma, Trypanosoma and were clinically acknowledged. The crust samples proved the anti-inflammation activity against wide range of irritations. At derivates of furans (naftofurans), naftochinons, naftopyranons – summary + marked as lapachons was proved the significant cytotoxicity ( the inhibition of reverse transcriptose).

Tawari is an important source from tropical rainforest with many opportunities of using in herbal medicine. Unfortunately its popularity and using has always been guided with controversy thanks to various effect results that were caused by the missing quality control and confusing about which parts of the plant to use for processng and how to proceed in the preparation.


 There are several kinds of Tabebuia, also as other, completely unrelated tree kinds, which are exported from South America, e.g.,,Lapacho,, „Tawari“,„Pau´D Arco“ etc, which have just very low or no active ingredients from the studies of subjacented and used medical kinds. 

Climate change and global warming is a reality.   
The simplest way to combat climate change is to plant trees: Trees breathe in Carbon Di Oxide and through the process of photo-synthesis create food for themselves and breathe out Oxygen.

At Sustainable Green Initiative, plant trees to help the fight against climate change and also hunger, poverty and rural migration. By planting a tree you help in doing your bit to mitigate your carbon footprint and carry on the fight against hunger, poverty and climate change.

 

Saturday, August 29, 2015

Native American Medical Cures

By Liliana Usvat    
Blog 353-365


Native American medicine men developed a wheel very similar to the yin/yang of Asian medicine. The use of herbal remedies and other alternative forms of treatment was the cutting-edge medicine of their day. This was a holistic approach to medical treatment that relied heavily on plants and their unique benefits.

What follows is list of indigenous plants, trees, fruits and flowers unique to North America that have surprising benefits as defined by Native American tribes. If and when times are tough, it might be good to keep some of these ancient cures in mind. They also are good for everyday needs when you consider how effective some of them can be.
Licorice tea for a sore throat is a good example. It’s also interesting that many of these natural cures are still in use today, including beeswax and bee pollen, chamomile and others. It’s a good demonstration of the benefit of wisdom developed over centuries.


It’s also thought that they observed sick animals eating certain plants and determined that those plants must have a certain property worth exploring.  Since that time, scientific studies have verified the medicinal value of many plants. In fact, common aspirin is derived from salicin, a chemical in the inner bark of willow trees that was used in ancient times for fever and pain.

These medicines were usually administered via teas or pastes that were either ingested or applied externally. Sometimes the plants were eaten as food or added to food or water. On occasion, a salve or poultice was applied to open wounds. I would strongly recommend that you avoid the latter, given the risk of infection from wild sources.

1. Alfalfa: Relieves digestion and is used to aid blood clotting. Contemporary uses included treatment of arthritis, bladder and kidney conditions and bone strength. Enhances the immune system.


2. Aloe: A cactus-like plant. The thick leaves can be squeezed to extrude a thick sap that can be used to treat burns, insect bites and wounds.


3. Aspen: The inner bark or xylem is used in a tea to treat fever, coughs and pain. It contains salicin, which also is found in willow trees and is the foundation ingredient for aspirin.


4. Bee pollen: When mixed with food it can boost energy, aid digestion and enhance the immune system. If you’re allergic to bee stings you will most likely be allergic to bee pollen.

5. Beeswax: Used as a salve for burns and insect bites, including bee stings. Intended to only be used externally.

6. Blackberry: The root, bark and leaves when crushed and infused in a tea are used to treat diarrhea, reduce inflammation and stimulate the metabolism. As a gargle it treats sore throats, mouth ulcers and inflammation of the gums.

7. Black Raspberry: The roots of this plant are crushed and used as a tea or boiled and chewed to relieve coughs, diarrhea and general intestinal distress.

8. Buckwheat: The seeds are used in soups and as porridge to lower blood pressure, help with blood clotting and relieve diarrhea.

9. Cayenne: The pods are used as a pain reliever when taken with food or drunk in a tea. Also used to threat arthritis and digestive distress. It is sometimes applied to wounds as a powder to increase blood flow and act as an antiseptic and anesthetic to numb the pain.

10. Chamomile: The leaves and flowers are used as a tea to treat intestinal problems and nausea.

11. Chokecherry: Considered by Native American tribes as an all-purpose medicinal treatment, the berries were pitted, dried and crushed into a tea or a poultice to treat a variety of ailments. These include coughs, colds, flu, nausea, inflammation and diarrhea. As a salve or poultice it is used to treat burns and wounds. The pit of the chokecherry – much like apple seeds – are poisonous in high concentrations. Be sure to pit the cherries if you’re considering this for any use.

12. Echinacea: Also known as purple coneflower, this is a classic Native American medicine that is used to strengthen the immune system, fight infections and fever. It also is used as an antiseptic and general treatment for colds, coughs and flu.
Echinacea
13. Eucalyptus: The oil from the leaves and roots is a common treatment when infused in a tea to treat coughs, sore-throat, flu and fever. It’s used to this day as an ingredient in cough drops.

14. Fennel: A plant with a licorice flavor, this is used in a tea or chewed to relieve coughs, sore-throat, aid digestion, offer relief to diarrhea and was a general treatment for colds. It also is used as a poultice for eye relief and headaches.

15. Feverfew: Used to this day as a natural relief for fever and headaches – including severe headaches like migraines – it also can be used for digestive problems, asthma and muscle and joint pains.

16. Feverwort: Another fever remedy that also is used for general pain, itching and joint stiffness. It can be ingested as a tea or chewed, or crushed to a paste as a salve or poultice.

17. Ginger root: Another super plant in Native American medicine, the root was crushed and consumed with food, as a tea or a salve or poultice. Known to this day for its ability to aid digestive health, it also is anti-inflammatory, aids circulation and can relieve colds, coughs and flu, in addition to bronchitis and joint pain.

18. Ginseng: This is another contemporary herb that has a history that goes back across cultures for millennia. The roots were used by Native Americans as a food additive, a tea and a poultice to treat fatigue, boost energy, enhance the immune system and help with overall liver and lung function. The leaves and stems also were used, but the root has the most concentration of active ingredients.

19. Goldenrod: Commonly thought of today as a source of allergies and sneezing, it was actually considered another all-in-one medicine by Native Americans. As a tea, an addition to food and a topical salve, it is used to treat conditions from bronchitis and chest congestion to colds, flu, inflammation, sore throats and as an antiseptic for cuts and abrasions.
20. Honeysuckle: The berries, stems, flowers and leaves are used to topically treat bee stings and skin infections. As a tea, it is used to treat colds, headaches and sore throat. It also has anti-inflammatory properties.

21. Hops: As a tea it is used to treat digestive problems and often mixed with other herbs or plants, such as aloe, to soothe muscles. It also is used to soothe toothaches and sore throat.

22. Licorice: Roots and leaves can be used for coughs, colds, sore throats. The root also can be chewed to relieve toothaches.


23. Mullein: As an infusion in tea or added to a salad or other food, this is a plant that has been used by Native Americans to treat inflammation, coughs and congestion and general lung afflictions. It is quite common and you probably have it growing in your backyard or somewhere close.

24. Passion flower: The leaves and roots are used to make a tea to treat anxiety and muscle pain. A poultice for injuries to the skin such as burns, insect bites and boils also can be made from passion flower.

25. Red clover: It grows everywhere and the flowers, leaves and roots are usually infused in a tea or are used to top food. It is used to manage inflammation, improve circulation and treat respiratory conditions.

26. Rose hip: This is the red to orange berry that is the fruit of wild roses. It is already known to be a massive source of vitamin C and when eaten whole, crushed into a tea or added to food it is used to treat colds and coughs, intestinal distress, as an antiseptic and to treat inflammation.

27. Rosemary: A member of the pine family and used in food and as a tea to treat muscle pain, improve circulation and as a general cleanser for the metabolism.

28. Sage: A far-reaching shrub across much of North America, it is a natural insect repellent and can be used for the standard list of digestive disorders, colds and sore throat.

29. Spearmint: Used consistently by Native American tribes for treatment of coughs, colds, respiratory distress and as a cure for diarrhea and a stimulant for blood circulation.


30. Valerian: The root as an infusion in a tea relieves muscle aches, pain and is said to have a calming effect.

31. White Pine: Ubiquitous and the needles and the inner bark can be infused in a tea. Used as standard treatme
  for respiratory distress and chest congestion.



Links

http://www.nd.gov/dhs/services/mentalhealth/prevention/pdf/medicine-wheel-all.pdf

Friday, August 28, 2015

Atract Bees Avoid Pesticides, by Planting Ceanothus buckwheat and Mexican Elderberry on Your Farm

By Liliana Usvat    
Blog 352-365


A new study shows that fields bordered by native hedgerows had higher levels of pest-eating insects.

Planting flowers is no vanity. Not only does having a variety of blooms dotting the edges and uncultivated parts of a farm provide forage for bees and other pollinators, but it can reduce the amount of pesticides used on crops.

The reduction of crop pests such as aphids wrought by the predatory insects attracted by the hedgerows reached 200 meters into the fields.

Simply changing what grows along the edge of a field—which can also help control dust, erosion, and other issues—helped provide pest control for the entire crop.

Ceanothus, California buckwheat, and Mexican elderberry—are highly drought-tolerant and can likely survive on rainfall and a small amount of summer irrigation after becoming established. 

Clearing field edges had no food-safety benefit and destroyed habitat for beneficial insects. 

The introduction of native wildlife habitat in the midst of crop plantings has been found to help reduce runoff and curb erosion on corn belt farms.  

Ceanothus concha

Other names Californian Lilac


















An evergreen shrub with foliage is glossy green with a resemblance to mint leaves. In spring and summer, large blue panicles of flower emerge that make a striking display.

Soil

A lighter soil type is preferable, that is well drained. Keep well watered for best results but they can withstand dry periods. N.B. quite salt resistant as well.

Diseases

Excess humidity can be a problem but root strain due to high winds will often kill off Ceanothus.

Maintenance

Note these plants can be affected by overly warm or humid conditions and a healthy plant has been known to keel over and die after a warm wet summer. If you keep them sheltered from strong winds and give them lots of sun then they should last a long time.

Comments

The name comes from Greek - sounds like blue

California buckwheat
 
Other Names

Eriogonum fasciculatum foliolosum

A low, spreading generally documented perennial shrub with 2-4 ft. branches. There are four similar subspecies recognized. 












 This variety of California Buckwheat is the common one that grows in most of the populated areas of California and is hardy to 0 F(but a sustained freeze of days can kill it) and very drought tolerant. We've had customers remove rose bushes to plant this one as it has more flowers for longer with less care and watering.

Eriogonum fasciculatum var. foliolosum, California Buckwheat,  has flowers, leaves and seeds that are all used by butterflies and small birds. White flowers come on in late spring, gradually turn pink in summer, then rust colored in fall. The rusty flowers commonly stay on until the next spring. 















The buckwheats are very important butterfly plants and one of the pillars of their communities. California Buckwheat has a whole community of insects living with the flowers. 

 In a small garden you can set a couple feet away from this shrub (or sub-shrub) and watch 50 or maybe 100 insects interact at one time. 

Eriogonum fasciculatum foliolosum tolerates sand and clay.
Eriogonum fasciculatum foliolosum is great for a bird garden and a butterfly garden.
Eriogonum fasciculatum foliolosum's foliage color is green and type is evergreen.
Eriogonum fasciculatum foliolosum's flower color is pink.


Mexican elderberry

Other Names Sambucus mexicana













Mexican elderberry or Tapiro,(Sambucus mexicana) is a deciduous shrub to tree with butter yellow flowers in Apr.-Aug. followed by purple berries in September-October. . 












This elderberry is native to canyons, valleys west of Sierra Nevada form Oregon to Baja and east to West Texas. It likes full sun to part shade, garden water. 

It will take extreme drought after it gets its roots down. There is a twisted old specimen south of Shandon growing out in full sun, the only plant left by cattle for miles in a 7"rainfall area. (It's surviving because its trunk twisted and the cattle rubbed all the bark off but didn't girdle it because of the twisting.) Its bluish-black berries are excellent in jelly, fair in pie. Pruning keeps the tree attractive.

















Sambucus mexicana 
  • tolerates clay and seasonal flooding
  • is great for a bird garden
  • foliage color is green and type is deciduous
  • flower color is yellow
  • fruit is edible. 

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Best Reforestations Techniques

By Liliana Usvat    
Blog 351-365


“A society grows great when old people plant trees, knowing that they will never sit in the shade of those trees.”  Based on an Ancient Greek proverb.

Reforestation on a grand scale is desperately needed in many places all around the world.  


Reforestation projects can create new patches of indigenous vegetation and/or increase the size of existing remnant patches of vegetation, and provide a buffer around them, as well as create linking corridors (particularly important for the dispersal of wildlife) between vegetation patches.


Usually only indigenous plants are used in reforestation .

Ideally, propagation materials are collected from within a few kilometres, but in practice seeds, cuttings, etc. are collected from within the same catchment, or within about 15 kilometres (a largely abitrary figure, although honeyeaters will travel around 15 kilometres, dispersing pollen in the process, Lindenmayer 2012). In the USA, propagation material is collected from up to 80 kilometres away (also an abritary figure?), which provides much more flexibility . 


In some places, the nearest remnant vegetation may be further away than that, so propagation material will have to come from the nearest practical source, and perhaps a few sources to provide sufficient biodiversity, and a wide gene pool. Some suggest that as a strategy or insurance against possible climate change, seeds could be sourced from both north and south of the area.

Degraded soils

Deep ripping of compacted degraded soils, or subsoil, can be helpful (using a tractor and ripper, or draft animals). Sometimes the soil is degraded as well as weed infested, in which case some of the species and techniques used in mixed improved fallows may be appropriate to improve the soil, shade out weeds, and kick start reforestation – see the “Fallows, Green Manure, Succession” page (click on the button at the top of this page), and the AID article on the “Articles” page. Livestock can also be used to partially control weeds and improve degraded soils.

Planting Trees

Nearly all reforestation projects involve planting mainly trees, grown in small square plastic tubes called tube stock (see photos below), into larger hand-dug holes (or an auger may be used), which are then watered in, usually with a little or no fertilizer added, and then mulched with “council” or “municipal” mulch (a composted mix of chipped wood and leaves, sourced from local government pruning of street trees, which has been at least partially composted, and which closely matches natural mulch/leaf litter in a natural forest).

 The mulch would normally be about 5 cm or more thick (2″ or more thick), and arranged in a circle around the plant, without touching the stem, about a metre/yard in diameter, or preferably the whole area is mulched. 


Direct seeding – utilizing livestock for reforestation/re vegetation


“Seeds and fruits are the chief, sometimes the only, food of many forest-inhabiting rodents.

Livestock and/or wildlife can be used to disperse seeds, providing a “work smart not hard” reforestation method for large areas, with treatments repeated over time. Livestock can also be used to restore degraded soils, or enhance the fertility and structure of average soils, through their manuring and urination.

Seeds can also be broadcast by hand or machine (but this is more labour and energy intensive), and then trodden into the soil by the animals, to enhance the germination and establishment of many plant species.

The Canopy Project

As part of its mission to protect natural lands and preserve the environment for all people, Earth Day Network developed The Canopy Project. Rather than focusing on large scale forestry, The Canopy Project plants trees that help communities - especially the world's impoverished communities - sustain themselves and their local economies. Trees reverse the impacts of land degradation and provide food, energy and income, helping communities to achieve long-term economic and environmental sustainability. Trees also filter the air and help stave off the effects of climate change.  
- See more at: http://www.earthday.org/campaign/canopy-project?gclid=CMKR5LjmyccCFQ6raQodVwQG-g#sthash.UWQ1L1lR.dpuf
Permaculture Reforestation

A forest plays an important role in ecological stability by serving as a natural water reservoir as well as a habitat of our wildlife and the indigenous tribes there within. Since our forests are mostly degraded, rehabilitating them is a lifetime activity. 


Regenerating a natural forest (Philippine Mahogany, Apitong, Lauan, Molave Narrra, Dao, and other indigenous species etc.) is usually done through seeds and wildlings, along with the knowledge of the local people. 

The development program follows something called the framework species concept, wherein the forest is planted with a select number of starting species which encourage the return of birds, animals, insects and provide the ecosystems services which set the stage for the natural regeneration of a truly diverse and healthy forest. 

A forest planted in this way can start with 30 varieties and see over 150 varieties of trees growing in less than 10 years. Our focus is not on the success of the trees themselves, but on the forest in general.


Logging

Stopping logging companies to destroy in a planned way the forests would be another help to the environment and climate change. 

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Trees of Mexico Red Gumbo Limbo Medicinal Uses for Skin affections Pain Colds Flu Sun Stroke, Blod Purifyer

By Liliana Usvat    
Blog 350-365


Red Gumbo limbo (English), Chakah or Sip' che' (Maya), Bursera simaruba, Burseraceae family. Red Gumbo Limbo is native to the Americas; a deciduous tree most notable for it’s peeling deep reddish bark, and soft wood, nowadays use by Maya carvers.  Chaca's small white bloom clusters grow in spring and winter. 















This Gumbo limbo can be propagated by just planting young branches to the ground, Maya people use it as posts for fencing their parcels that with time become mature trees.  The Red Gumbo limbo or Chaca tree has a high salty soil tolerance and many medicinal qualities used by Maya healers in tea fusions, oils and anti-inflammatory ointments.

This large deciduous tree is most notable for it’s peeling reddish bark.
 
People use its resin as glue, varnish, water-repellent coating, and incense. Gumbo-limbo is considered medicinal nearly everyplace it grows.

TRIBAL AND HERBAL MEDICINE USES


Rosita Arvigo reports that the bark is a common topical remedy in Belize for skin affections like skin sores, measles, sunburn, insect bites and rashes. A bark decoction is also taken internally for urinary tract infections, pain, colds, flu, sun stroke, fevers and to purify the blood.
 
 A strip of bark about 4 -5 cm x 30 cm is boiled in a gallon of water for 10 minutes for this local remedy and then used topically or drunk as a tea.

When someone sprained an ankle or pulled a muscle, gumbo limbo resin was applied to the affected area.  I guess you just spread the sap on your skin and stick some leaves to it, twice a day, with meals.



WORLDWIDE MEDICAL USES
Bahamas for aches(back), debility, hunger, impotency, rashes, strains; as an aphrodisiac
Belize for colds, blood cleansing, fevers, flu, insect bites, measles, rashes, skin sores, sun stroke, sunburn, urinary tract infections
Dominican Republic for cystitis, intestinal problems, nephritis
Guatemala for aches(stomach), bite(snake), gangrene
Haiti as an antiseptic diuretic, insect repellant; for calculus, diarrhea, nephritis Sore, Vulnerary
Mexico for asthma, bite(snake), colic, dropsy, dysentery, enterorrhagia, fevers, stomachaches, swelling, venereal diseases, yellow fever; as an diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, purgative
Peru as an analgesic, blood purifier, diaphoretic, expectorant, insecticide; for rheumatism
Venezuela for cancer(stomach), corns, debility, hernia, rheumatism
Elsewhere for aches(stomach), muscle fatigue, obesity, renitis, rheumatism, tumors, venereal diseases, wounds

Reforestation

One reason the tree is so commonly encountered is that it's a tough, adaptable species able to endure many abuses. Just poke a stick of it into the ground, it roots, and makes a new tree. 


Cut off a branch, stick it in the ground, and it will grow.  People still make photosynthesizing fences by planting a row of branches.
 
Propagation is by seed which germinates readily if fresh but, most often, gumbo-limbo is propagated by cuttings of any size twig or branch. Huge truncheons (up to 12 inches in diameter) are planted in the ground where they sprout and grow into a tree. 

Be sure to properly prune and train a tree grown in this fashion, since many sprouts often develop along the trunk after planting. A tree left to grow in this manner usually develops weak branches which may fall from the tree as it grows older. Space major branches out along the main trunk to create a strong tree. It is probably best to plant seed-grown trees or those propagated from smaller, more traditionally-sized cuttings. 

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Trees of Mexico Guadalupe Palm

By Liliana Usvat    
Blog 349-365















Guadalupe Palm, Brahea Edulis, Arecaceae family. An endemic palm to Mexico, this lush small fan palm has shiny green fan-shaped leaves, usually with indentations along the midrib. Guadalupe palms grow to 9 meters high showing a highly fissures trunk 1-1/2 feet in diameter. Endangered in its own native habitat in Mexico, the Guadalupe Island, this beautiful palm is grown successfully nowadays in many palm farms, specially in the United State as an ornamental palm.
 
Named “edulis” for its edible fruit.

Brahea edulis (Guadalupe Palm, Palma de Guadalupe) is a palm endemic to Guadalupe Island, Mexico; a few stands have been planted elsewhere. It is a fan palm which grows 4.5–13 meters tall. It grows between 400 and 1000 meters above mean sea level. 
 
The entire native population consists of old trees with little successful recruitment for 150 years or so. Until recently, Guadalupe Island supported a large goat population (estimated at 100,000 in 1870, and 5,000 in 2000). 

The presence of these goats prevented regrowth of the native trees, including B. edulis, and as a consequence, the ecosystem was drastically altered: the once verdant island turned into an almost barren rock, with weeds replacing the former forests. Below 800–900 m ASL, the palm is essentially the only remaining tree, occurring in a major sub-population and scattered groups in sheltered locations.
 
 Above that, there used to be a band of mixed woodland where the palm was accompanied by Island Oak and Guadalupe Pine. This habitat has now all but disappeared due to the other trees becoming pushed back into higher regions. 

The species was probably declining slowly since the mid-19th century. Its range might even have expanded a bit until the mid-20th century however; part of it was shared with other trees as noted above; especially the pine, it's a towering species that presumably grew in many sites now occupied by the palm. 
 
In addition, a forest of Guadalupe Cypress and California Juniper shrubland existed in the palm's present range; the cypress forest was eventually destroyed by the goats and the juniper is nowadays completely absent from the island. Although endangered in the wild, B. edulis is cultivated, especially in California.  

Reforestation



Trees are quite wind and salt hardy. They thrive in drier subtropical conditions and don't do as well with constant humidity. Grow in almost any soil type, water is need infrequently, and once established, the plants need little or no care. Propagation: By seeds, which take 3-6 months to germinate. 
 
Guadalupe palms grow amidst indigenous Monterey pine, Pinus radiata var. binata; toyon, Heteromeles arbutifolia; sword fern, Polystichum munitum; California juniper, Juniperus californica; and members (some endemic) of such typically Californian genera as Cupressus (cypresses), Eschsholzia (California poppies), Ceanothus (California lilac), Arctostaphylos (manzanita), and Eriogonum (buckwheats).

To be accurate, Guadalupe palms used to grow with these plants, but many became endangered or were extirpated by more than a century of feral goat browsing. The destruction has now ended with the removal of the goats as part of a restoration project, and plants are responding with rapid growth.