Showing posts with label fatigue and to generally build strength. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fatigue and to generally build strength. Show all posts

Monday, March 31, 2014

Guiana Chestnut Tree Medicinal Uses

By Liliana Usvat
Blog 166-365
(Guiana Chestnut Tree - at Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden Miami Florida, USA)

Pachira aquatica is a tropical wetland tree of the mallow family Malvaceae, native to Central and South America where it grows in swamps. It is known by the common names Malabar chestnut, Guiana chestnut, provision tree, saba nut, monguba (Brazil), pumpo (Guatemala) and is commercially sold under the names money tree and money plant


It is very often called Money Tree and is one of the feng-shui plants. It is supposed to be the plant that will bring good luck and money into your home. 

 
It has five leaves on each branch, symbolizing the 5 fundamental Feng Shui elements : Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth. Often they are grown as a clump of 5 intertwined trees.



Before modern medicine developed laboratory drugs, our ancestors all over the world used herbs and weeds for health. In many parts of the world today, they are the only treatment available and sometimes work better than manufactured drugs. Many plants exhibit the "Doctrine of Signatures" which is a concept that there is some physical characteristic about a plant that signals what it could be used for on the physical body.


The genus name is derived from a language spoken in Guyana. The species name is Latin for "aquatic". It is classified in the subfamily Bombacoideae of the family Malvaceae. Previously it was assigned to Bombacaceae.


Pachira aquatica in fruit.
The fruit, a nut is of a brownish colour and can measure up to 12 inches (300 mm) in length and 2.5 inches (64 mm) in diameter. Seeds grow within until such time as the nut bursts, sending the seeds forth and propagating. The nut is edible and often eaten raw or roasted, with a flavor similar to a European chestnut; it may also be ground and made as a hot drink. The fruit is not eaten.
 
The name "money tree" seems to refer to a story of its origin, where a poor man prayed for money, found this "odd" plant, took it home as an omen, and made money selling plants grown from its seeds.

Medicinal Uses

Provision Tree bark is highly regarded as a blood tonic. A tea made by boiling its bark is used to help anemia, low blood pressure, fatigue and to generally build strength. 

TIME OF YEAR

 Flowers late fall or early winter, fruits in the spring

ENVIRONMENT: 

Does best in areas of periodic flood, or if water heavily often. It does not like dry wind, may endure temperatures briefly down to 28F.

METHOD OF PREPARATION: 

Seeds edible when the pod cracks open, raw or cooked or ground into flour. Seeds raw taste similar to peanuts. Roasted or fried they taste similar to chestnuts.  Young leaves and flowers edible cooked, usually by boiling.