Yes, Very nice write up, Gurcharanji, thanks for showing it.... Usha di ============
On Jan 15, 2:09 pm, Giby Kuriakose <[email protected]> wrote: > Very nice picture sir. Thanks for sharing this uniqe flower. > Regards > Giby. > On Jan 15, 2012 10:21 AM, "Gurcharan Singh" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > I am taking this liberty of uploading my second Flora Picture of 2011, a > > photograph I badly wanted to include in my book but could not because I had > > misplaced this folder of our our first outing in California to Shoreline > > Park. Today I found this while scanning though my external storage drives. > > > The plant, *Anemopsis* *californica* (Nutt.) Hook. & Arn. of family > > Saururaceae, commonly known as Yerba mansa or apache-beads, the only > > species in the genus and endemic to California growing in coastal marshy > > areas, belonging to paleoherb complex, the early basal branch of > > angiosperms. Hickey & Taylor (1996) who proposed herbaceous origin > > hypothesis believe that flowers of Piperaceae (another paleoherb family) > > and Anemopsis arose through suppression of system of inflorescence axis of > > gnetopsids. In the above photograph the flower-like structure is in fact a > > fragrant spike inflorescence subtended at base by involucral bracts looking > > like petals. The small flowers number 75-150 on spike and each has white > > orbicular 4-6 mm long bract adnate to ovary, usually six stamens and 3 > > united carpels with parietal placentation and brown capsule fruit. > > > The aromatic stoloniferous stock was once fashioned into cylindrical > > necklace by American Indiands and hence the name apache beads. more > > commonly known as Yerba (supposed to stand for herb in Spanish) mansa in > > medicine it was a reputed medicine for malaria and dysentry, as also > > treatment for swollen gums and soar throat. It also prevents build up of > > kidney stones. Dried roots can be used as dusting powder for for diaper > > rashes and other infected parts. Leaves are often used to make poultice to > > relieve muscle swelling and inflammation. > > > -- > > Dr. Gurcharan Singh > > Retired Associate Professor > > SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 > > Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018. > > Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089 > >http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/
