THE TAMARISK TREE: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF TWO TAMARISKS


Tamarix gallica
TAMARISK TREE, TAMARIX GALLICA AND TAMARIX APHYLLA 
There are around sixty tamarisk trees (farash in Urdu) in the world, and the two I have chosen to write about are the French tamarisk tree which is a native of the Mediterranean region and the one that is indigenous to the Middle East, North Africa and the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka. The latter is the tallest in the genus- Tamarix aphylla.
  Writing in the 17th century the English herbalist, Nicholas Culpeper describes the T. gallica in this way:-
“The Tamarisk never grows to be a tree of any great bigness in England, though beyond the seas it will; having a rough dark brown bark. The younger branches are of a chestnut colour, cloathed with very fine tender green leaves, somewhat like those of cypress, but thinner and finer, and not at all hard or rough; the flowers grow in rough spikes at the ends of the younger shoots, an inch or more in length, several spikes growing together, each consisting of a great many small, five leaved, pale red flowers, which are succeeded by small seed, included in a downy substance.”        
T.gallica
 He also says “It is only planted in gardens in England, its native place being Spain, and the southern parts of France. The wood, bark, and leaves are used.”
  He believed that the tree was from Spain because it is generally thought that the word tamarisk comes from the name of a Spanish river, the Tamaris.
   The tamarisk trees are unusual in that they produce a substance called manna, although there is some debate as to whether this is produced by the tree in response to attacks by insects, or whether the sticky sweet substance is produced by the insects. Some say the tree is the source of the Biblical manna which the Israelites of the Bible (Exodus) were sent by God. However this is strongly refuted by many clerics.
T. gallica
  The manna, galls from the trees and the wood have all been used in medicine in a variety of countries.The Tuareg In Niger use the manna to sweeten water.
   The French tamarisk has been used for its astringent qualities, and notably the galls contain 40 per cent tannin, so it has been used to treat diarrhoea and dysentery, to staunch the flow of blood from wounds and speed up the healing process, and as a laxative. It also has antimicrobial properties, so is good for cleaning wounds.
  Extracts have been found to have a positive effect on the liver’s functioning and it seems that the tree possesses anti-inflammatory properties, as traditionally it has been used externally to bring relief from the pains and swellings of rheumatism.                                                                                                   
T. aphylla
  Used internally an infusion is said to boost the immune system so it can ward off colds and flu and other infections.
  This is what Nicholas Culpeper wrote about it in his 17th century Herball:-
“Government and virtues. A gallant Saturnine herb it is. The root, leaves, young branches, or bark boiled in wine, and drank, stays the bleeding of the hæmorrhodical veins, the spitting of blood, the too abounding of women's courses, the jaundice, the cholic, and the biting of all venomous serpents, except the asp; and outwardly applied, is very powerful against the hardness of the spleen, and the tooth-ache, pains in the ears, red and watering eyes. The decoction, with some honey put thereto, is good to stay gangrenes and fretting ulcers, and to wash those that are subject to nits and lice. Alpinus and Veslingius affirm, that the Egyptians do with good success use the wood of it to cure the French disease, as others do with lignum vitæ or *guaiacum; and give it also to those who have the leprosy, scabs, ulcers, or the like. Its ashes doth quickly heal blisters raised by burnings or scaldings. It helps the dropsy, arising from the hardness of the spleen, and therefore to drink out of cups made of the wood is good for splenetic persons. It is also helpful for melancholy, and the black jaundice that arise thereof. The ancients believed that swine which fed out of a trough made of this wood, would have no milk. The bark is sometimes used for the rickets in children.”
* lignum vitae comes from Guaiacum officinale.
T. aphylla
  Extracts from the tree are used in traditional medicine in Italy to get rid of warts, and in other parts of Europe it was a remedy for ridding the gastro-intestinal tract of worms. Extracts in one study showed that they were a potent chemoprotective agent.
  The small branches and leaves have astringent and diuretic properties and externally a compress of the leaves and twiglets will staunch bleeding.
  As for Tamarisk aphylla, it possesses similar medicinal properties and the flower galls are used in traditional medicine for their astringent properties and as a gargle. A decoction of the bark is used for eczema and other skin complaints.
T. aphylla
  This tree is a good firebreak as it has such a high saline content, so much so that it kills all vegetation which might try to grow under it, and its leaf litter contains so much salt that it doesn’t burn.
  Both trees are used to help to prevent soil erosion because of their deep root systems. They do not take well to trimming however and so are not ideal for a garden hedge.
  Dyes can be made from the galls on the tree, and the wood may be used in general construction, but it is not very strong, and is knotty.
  These are interesting trees which I have found useful to sit under in the shade they provide on Greek island beaches.

MOTHER OF THYME OR WILD THYME, OFTEN CULTIVATED: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF MOTHER OF THYME


MOTHER OF THYME, WILD THYME, CREEPING THYME, THYMUS SERPYLLIUM 
Wild thyme or mother of thyme is less common than common thyme which also grows wild. It has been cultivated for century in gardens in Europe and is native also to North Africa, western Asia and Scandinavia. It is closely related to ajwain and thyme, and is a member of the mint or Labiatae or Lamiaceae family of plants. As such it is a relative of calamint, sage, Jupiter’s sage, peppermint, horehound, self-heal, the chaste tree and the small-flowered Chaste tree, ground ivy, the teak tree, yellow, purple and white dead nettles, motherwort, fragrant premna, common germander, Cretan dittany, bugle, Scarlet Bee Balm and marsh woundwort, oregano and other culinary herbs. In Urdu it is called Ban Ajwain.                                                                                  
  The leaves contain an essential oil which is used in perfumery, and you can make your own fragrant water by steeping the flower heads in salt and water for at least 24 hours. The leaves can be added to soups and stews, or to bouquet garni for flavouring and they also go well with vegetable dishes, and are used to good effect with courgettes and mushrooms.
  The essential oil distilled from its leaves is used as a disinfectant, as mouthwash, and it is also an insect repellant. It also has antiseptic and fungicidal properties. A Romanian study has found that the plant possesses antioxidant properties and other studies have shown that it has antimicrobial properties and can be used against candida.
  The Romans believed that it was a mood enhancer and gave it to those who suffered from melancholia. It was later believed to be a favourite flower of fairies in much the same way as bluebells were, and it was a fairy playground where the plants proliferated. Shakespeare used this idea in his play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” Act 2 scene i: -
“I know a bank whereon the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses, and with eglantine:
There sleeps Titania some time of the night,
Lulled in these flowers with dances and delight;
And there the snake throws her enamelled skin,
Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in.”
 In European traditional medicine it has been used to get rid of flatulence and intestinal worms, for its deodorizing properties, as an antispasmodic, expectorant, and general tonic. In India and Pakistan it is used in the treatment of whooping cough, asthma, and respiratory inflammation because of its antispasmodic properties. It is also used for back-ache.                                                                                                              
  In Wales it used to be planted on graves, and an old folk tale says that it was the fragrant herb which formed the Virgin Mary’s bed.
  A tisane made with the leaves and flowers (1 ounce of dried herb to 1 pint of boiling water left to steep for 15 minutes before straining and drinking in 1 tablespoon doses frequently) was given for chest complaints, weak digestion and flatulence. Mixed with rosemary and lemon balm with a little honey to sweeten it, the tisane was given for nervous complaints and headaches (especially, says Culpeper, those caused by a hangover).
  Writing in the 17th century, the English herbalist, Nicholas Culpeper has this to say about Mother of Thyme: 
“Government and virtues. The whole plant is fragrant, and yields an essential oil that is very heating. An infusion of the leaves removes the head-ach, occasioned by the debauch of the preceding night.
Mother of Thyme is under Venus. It is excellent in nervous disorders. A strong infusion of it, drank in the manner of tea, is pleasant, and a very effectual remedy for head-achs, giddiness, and other disorders of that kind; and it is a certain remedy for that troublesome complaint, the night-mare. A gentleman afflicted for a long space of time with this complaint in a terrible manner, and having in vain sought for relief from the usual means employed for that purpose, was advised to make trial of the infusion of this plant, which soon removed it, and he continued free for several years, after which the disorder sometimes returned, but always gave way to the remedy.”

FROSTWORT OR ROCK ROSE, FOR RELIEF OF SCROFULA: HISTORY OF USES OF FROSTWORT OR FROSTWEED


FROSTWORT, FROSTWEED, ROCK ROSE, HELIANTHEMUM CANADENSIS
Frostwort is native to North America, and was regarded as a curiosity by early botanists. In the early morning, moisture from the soil is driven upwards through the roots and this causes cracks just where the base of the stem rises above the ground. The stem bursts and this moisture becomes particles of ice in the cold temperatures in winter. This is why it is called the Frostwort or Frostweed.
  Frostwort has other synonyms for its genus, these being, Cistus canadensis, Linné and Croeanthemum canadense. Helios is the Greek word for sun, and anthemum means flower so its genus names mean sunflower from Canada.
  Professor Amos Eaton (1776-1842) noted the phenomenon but did not know how it was caused. This is what he observed:                                                           
  “In November and December of 1816 I saw hundreds of these plants sending out broad, thin, curved ice crystals, about an inch in breadth, from near the roots. They were melted away by day, and renewed every morning for more than 25 days in succession.”
  Like figwort in Europe this plant was used to treat scrofula, although it is not in the Scrophulaceae family, but the Cistaceae one. The whole plant was used in traditional medicine, being bitter and astringent due to the presence of tannins. The stem and leaves of the plant are covered in soft white hairs, and it is a branching plant with the branches growing longer than the main stem. It produces yellow flowers between the months of May and July. It grows to between 8 inches and 2 feet.
  The plant is used in infusions and stronger decoctions to treat a number of illnesses. An infusion of it is used for diarrhoea and dysentery and an infusion of the leaves is used for kidney problems and a gargle for sore throats. This is the tisane. The stronger decoction of the leaves was used for scrofula and was also used as an eyewash for infections and for skin problems externally. A poultice of the leaves was also applied in cases of skin problems. It was thought to be very efficacious as a wash for scrofulous sores and ulcers on the skin.
  The plant produces an oil which was said to be a good treatment for cancer. Traditionally the plant was used for secondary syphilis and a number of other ailments. There is no or little scientific evidence as yet to support the traditional uses of Frostweed.

HARDY OR BABY KIWI FRUIT AND TARA VINE: HEALTH BENEFITS OF BABY KIWI AND BABY KIWI AND ORANGE SODA RECIPE


BABY OR HARDY KIWI, TARA VINE, ACTINIDIA ARGUTA
In comparison to the kiwi (Actinidia delicosa) we know, this one is tiny, with a smooth, rather than brown hairy, skin which can be eaten safely. It is about one third of the size of its hairy relative, and comes in a variety of colours, green, yellow and red. It can grow in very cold climates withstanding temperatures of -34° C or -30°F, hence its name the Hardy kiwi. This baby kiwi is native to Siberia,, China and Japan, but is now being cultivated in the West where growers are trying to increase the vine’s yields of fruit. It is currently being produced in South America, Britain, New Zealand, Australia, parts of the USA, Canada and Europe.
  This baby kiwi (which grows to lengths of 2 or 3 centimeteres) has five times the vitamin C of blackcurrants and is sweeter than the bigger kiwi fruit which is native to southerly climates. It flowers between June and July and the fruits ripen around October. The vine can grow to around 50 feet if it is well-supported.                                           

  This baby kiwi and its vine were first described by Philipp Franz von Siebold and Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini in 1843 on their Far Eastern travels. They gave it the genus name Trochostigma argutum.
  Interestingly, in parts of New England where it is being grown now, it has invaded woodland and may soon be a listed invasive species in some North American states.                                   
  The Chinese have traditionally used this fruit for digestive problems and eat it either fresh or dried. In Russia it is made into a paste with the red berries from the Magnolia vine to counteract their possible tartness.
  The vine is full of sap, which can be tapped in spring and drunk as a spring tonic. Scientists have found that this baby kiwi may have potential health benefits, as it has been used in China to treat oesophageal cancer, and stomach cancers. In the lab, in vitro, it has been found to have an inhibitory effect on human liver carcinoma cell lines (HEPG2) and on HT-29, human colonic cancer cell lines. However more research is needed before the activities can be confirmed.
  In China the fruit is also used traditionally to get rid of flatulence to promote blood circulation and to help in the treatment of jaundice and dysentery.
  You may like to try this recipe for a healthy drink if you find any of these sweet baby kiwis.
 
KIWI AND ORANGE SODA
Ingredients                                                                                                   
½ cup of freshly squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup pureed baby kiwi flesh
¾ cup of soda water
red kiwis
Garnish
Sprigs of fresh mint or lemon slices

Method
Combine the kiwi puree and orange juice in a blender.
Add about half a cup of this mixture to a tall glass, and top it up with soda water. Add ice and a garnish if you wish.
This has Taste and is a Treat.