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  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
<br />
Trapa bicornis (Lythraceae) - devil's pod, also known as bat nut, goat head, null nut, and buffalo nut - this species is sometimes even combined with Trapa natans (i.e. the two are treated as a single variable species) and much of the description above also applies to T. bicornis. --- Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_caltrop]: The water caltrop, water chestnut or Singhara or Paniphal is either of two species of the genus Trapa: Trapa natans and Trapa bicornis. Both species are floating annual aquatic plants, growing in slow-moving water up to 5 meters deep, native to warm temperate parts of Eurasia and Africa. They bear ornately shaped fruits, which in the case of T. bicornis resemble the head of a bull, each fruit containing a single very large starchy seed. It has been cultivated in China and India for at least 3,000 years for these seeds, which are boiled and sold as an occasional street side snack in the south of that country<br />
<br />
[http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Trapa+bicornis]: Seed edible after cooking. A crunchy texture with a bland flavour. Rich in starch, the raw seed contains a deleterious principle that is destroyed by cooking. The cooked seed can be dried and ground into a powder. The flowers are astringent in fluxes. The fruit is used in the treatment of fever and sunstroke. The plant is anticancer, antipyretic and tonic.
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11912.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
<br />
Pterocarpus angolensis (Fabaceae) - kiaat tree; native to southern Africa<br />
Pterocarpus has remarkable fruits: anemochory, dispersal by means of barbed fruits and "Bodenroller" (winged fruits rolling along the ground), a triple strategy. The fruits are enclosed by a flat, dry involucre with a large surface and a relatively high weight. The spiny centre helps the fruit to stick to an animal (epizoochoric dispersal), the arrangement of the wings allows a dispersal by wind currents at the ground. Pterocarpus occurs in the savannah in the south of Africa (from Peter von Sengbusch, botany-online).<br />
The genus has been given a name which describes the unusual seed pods, pter meaning "wing" in Greek and carpus which means "fruit" in Greek. The central, hardened seed case is surrounded by a broad, membranous wing and is therefore called "wing fruit" or Pterocarpus. There are roughly 30 species in the genus and these may be found in the more tropical regions of the world. Four species occur in southern Africa. The specific name, angolensis means "of Angola". The brilliant dramatically red sap found in Pterocarpus gives it the common name of "bloodwood". The wood apparently bears some resemblance to the unrelated true teak from tropical east Asia (Tectona grandis) hence the common name "wild teak".
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11880.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
<br />
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Sophora secundiflora (Fabaceae) - Texas mountain laurel, mescal bean; native to North America (Texas, New Mexico, northern Mexico)<br />
The hard, fibrous and indehiscent camaras of the Texas mountain laurel (Sophora secundiflora, Fabaceae-Papilionoideae) appear to be adapted to dispersal by large herbivorous mammals such as antelopes. However, most of the potential dispersers in North America would have died out c. 13.000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age. The only native antelope in the southern US is the pronghorn (Antilocapra americana). Observations as to whether the pronghorn does eat the fruits of the Texas mountain laurel seem to be missing. The very hard and shiny seeds of the Texas mountain laurel are coloured bright red, a characteristic that generally indicated 'fraudulent' bird-dispersal ('fruit mimicry'). However, since the fruits are very hard and indehiscent, the conspicuous colour of the seeds is hard to explain from an adaptational point of view. Perhaps their colour is part of a two-stage dispersal mechanism, tricking birds into picking the seeds from the faeces of megafaunal herbivores.<br />
interesting weblinks:<br />
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=sose3: Sophora secundiflora is very popular as a native evergreen ornamental tree within its range, valued for its handsome, dark green foliage and lush early spring blooms. It is drought-tolerant, prefers rocky limestone soil, and is native from central Texas west to New Mexico and south to San Luis Potosi in Mexico. Like many woody plants native to rocky soils, it is slow growing. The fragrance of Texas mountain laurel flowers is reminiscent of artificial grape products.
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11949.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
<br />
Martynia annua (Martyniaceae) - small-fruited devil's claw, cat's claw (not to be confused with Uncaria (Rubiaceae) which is also called cat's claw); native of Mexico, introduced and naturalized elsewhere in the tropics worldwide; a 'devil's claw' whose seed capsules resemble the upper jaw and fangs of a pit viper. Guatemalans use the sticky leaves of this plant to remove lice from fowl.
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11926.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
<br />
Mucuna sp. (Fabaceae) - hamburger bean; native to Central and South America<br />
Apart from the sea-heart (Entada gigas), the most famous sea beans are the true sea bean (Mucuna sloanei and M. urens), Mucuna urens (Fabaceae), true sea bean or hamburger bean; diameter of seed: c. 2.5cm;<br />
interesting weblinks:<br />
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/mucuna.htm<br />
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mucuna
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11908.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Bertholletia excelsa (Lecythidaceae) – Brazil nut; native to Brazil – large woody fruit with animal-made hole affording a view of an eroded seed. In its natural habitat, the Brazilian rainforest, the mature fruits fall on the ground where agoutis (cat-size brown rodents) are the only animals that are able to gnaw their way through the fruit wall into the seeds. They eat some of the seeds of a fruit and cache the rest for subsequent use. Seeds left in a forgotten cache eventually germinate after 12 to 18 months and give rise to a new Brazil nut tree. <br />
Snippets from the internet: A forest tree, native to northern Brazil and Guiana, that grows 100' tall and has been grown in Hawaii. The fruit is round, woody, 6" long and contains 12-24 nuts per fruit. Almost all of the commercial crop is collected from wild trees<br />
Very good info about the economy etc. of the Brazil nut: http://www.rain-tree.com/brazilnu.htm
    MM7753_2010-07-22_11725.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Bixa orellana (Bixaceae) - annato, lipstick tree; native to South America. The genus Bixa is monotypic and a member of the family Bixaceae (16 species in 3 genera). The species is especially cultivated for its red colouring obtained from the testa of the seeds, the original Amerindian body paint which is also effective as an insect repellent. The red colour is due to several apocarotenoids located in the seed epidermis, of which bixin (9'Z-6,6'-diapocarotene-6,6'-dioate) is the most important. Several more carotenoids and apocarotenoids have been identified; their total amount varies strongly, but may reach up to 7% of the dry seeds' mass. Bixin was formerly an important dyestuff but is now replaced by Congo red for fabric but still used in food esp. cheese, butter, margarine and chocolate as it is almost tasteless. It is also used in soaps and other skin products (there sometimes also called the lipstick tree). Bixa orellana, also called annato, possesses extrafloral nectaries to attract ants that ward off predators (seed production doubles in the presence of ants) (from Mabberley 1997 and Gernod Katzer’s Spice Pages). Common names for Bixa orellana include: Orleansbaum, achuete, annatto, urucum, urucu, rocucou, anato, achiote, kuswé.<br />
The scientific species name orellana reminds to Francisco de Orellana, a Spanish explorer of the 16th century. Together with Francisco Pizarro, Orellana had been involved in the destruction of the Inca empire; in 1540, he participated in another expedition led by Gonzalo Pizarro. Following rumours about gold and cinnamon trees, about 2000 Spaniards entered to Peruvian and Brazilian jungles, where most of them perished. Orellana abandoned the party and made his way eastward, where he (more or less by chance) discovered the Amazonas river and earned scientific fame quite undeservedly. By confusion of the Spanish name with the French town Orle
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11854.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
<br />
Tipuana tipu (Leguminosae) – tipu tree; native to South America (Brazil, Bolivia & Argentina) – fruits (samaras); the 1-3-seeded, unilaterally winged samaras of the tipu tree bear a striking resemblance to the fruitlets of maples (Acer spp., Sapindaceae). A unilateral wing causes a helicopter-like flight as the diaspore rotates around its centre of gravity (i.e. the thickened, seed-bearing part of the fruit); length c. 5cm. ---  The tipu tree is widely planted as a street tree in the tropics; it is very vigorous and can become an invasive pest, such as in South Africa. The timber of the tipu tree is used for furniture.<br />
From: http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/GBASE/data/pf000407.htm: This is mainly an ornamental tree, used in urban forestry, but the leaves also constitute e good feed for stock. It is also one of the many "rose woods". It has been used in the South Sahel and North Sudanese ecozones for street and amenity plantations, as well as in Dakar, Cairo, Lisbon, Tunis, Sousse, Jerusalem etc.
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11791.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
<br />
Ricinus communis (Euphorbiaceae) - castor oil plant; native to tropical Africa, naturalized throughout the tropics - seeds; the seeds of the castor oil plant, called 'castor beans', contain a very valuable oil that is used both as a purgative as well as a lubricant for jet engines and heavy machinery. The seeds are also infamous for containing ricin, one of the strongest poisons found in nature. One milligram can already be enough to kill an adult. At their micropylar end the seeds bear a fatty elaiosome to attract ants for dispersal; seeds c. 12mm long.<br />
Some interesting facts about Ricinus:<br />
Ricin: The seeds from the castor bean plant, Ricinus communis, are poisonous to people, animals and insects. One of the main toxic proteins is "ricin", named by Stillmark in 1888 when he tested the bean's extract on red blood cells and saw them agglutinate. Now we know that the agglutination was due to another toxin that was also present, called RCA (Ricinus communis agglutinin). Ricin is a potent cytotoxin but a weak hemagglutinin, whereas RCA is a weak cytotoxin and a powerful hemagglutinin. Poisoning by ingestion of the castor bean is due to ricin, not RCA, because RCA does not penetrate the intestinal wall, and does not affect red blood cells unless given intravenously. If RCA is injected into the blood, it will cause the red blood cells to agglutinate and burst by hemolysis. Perhaps just one milligram of ricin can kill an adult. The symptoms of human poisoning begin within a few hours of ingestion. The symptoms are: abdominal pain, vomiting and (sometimes bloody) diarrhea. Within several days there is severe dehydration, a decrease in urine, and a decrease in blood pressure. If death has not occurred in 3-5 days, the victim usually recovers.<br />
Castor oil: Castor beans are pressed to extract castor oil which is used for medicinal purposes.
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11952.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Prosopis strombulifera (Fabaceae) - Argentine screwbean, creeping screwbean; native to Argentina - Prosopis strombulifera is classified by the U.S. Federal Government as a NOXIOUS WEED (present esp. in California).<br />
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosopis_strombulifera: Prosopis strombulifera is a species of mesquite or algarrobo, a shrub in the legume family. It is known by the English common names Argentine screwbean and creeping screwbean and the Spanish common name retortuño.[1] This shrub is native to Argentina, where it grows in saline soils. It became well-known in California after it was introduced to Imperial County and took hold in the wild, growing as an invasive noxious weed.[1] The plant grows from a network of long, spreading roots and may grow to three meters in height. Many plants may grow together in an area, forming a monotypic stand. The shrub has waxy-textured leaves made up of a pair of leaflets which are each divided into several pairs of secondary leaflets each up to a centimeter long. Whitish spines up to 2 centimeters long appear near the leaf bases. The inflorescence is a spherical head of many very narrow tubelike yellow flowers, the head measuring about 1.5 centimeters wide. The fruit is a bright yellow seed pod coiled tightly into a cylindrical stick up to 5 centimeters long. It contains several greenish seeds each about half a centimeter long.<br />
other weblinks:<br />
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesquite
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11922.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Dipterocarpus costulatus (Dipterocarpaceae) - keruing kipas (Malay); length of fruit: 18.5cm. The characteristic fruits bear two wings produced by only two of the five sepals of the calyx of the flower (the other 3 sepals remain small)/ The members of the meranti family (Dipterocarpaceae) are a dominant component of lowland tropical rainforests and exploited for their valuable timber.<br />
The species is currently Classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List.
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11877.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Heritiera littoralis (Malvaceae) – looking-glass mangrove, native to the Old World tropics; the seawater-proof nut-like fruit contains a single round seed surrounded by a large air space. The prominent keel on their back acts like the sail; fruit up to 10cm long <br />
http://mangrove.nus.edu.sg/guidebooks/text/1062.htm: Low, much branched, evergreen tree, to 15 m tall; bark pinkish gray, smooth becoming flaky when older; leaf blades dark green above and silvery white below, withering dull orange-yellow, oblong to elliptic, leathery; flowers in hanging yellowish tassels; fruits purple-brown, woody, shiny with a stiff keel on one side. The hard and strong timber is valued for masts, when it can be got straight enough. It is also used for canoes, firewood, house posts, joists, pressers, telegraph poles, wheel-hubs and boat-ribs. An extract of the seed can be used to treat diarrhoea and dysentery .<br />
http://plants.jstor.org/flora/ftea009311?cookieSet=1: LOCAL USES (in East Africa). Trunks of this species are used for dhow masts in Lamu (Abdulla 1139) and Zanzibar (U.O.P.Z.) and were formerly used for railroad sleepers (Farquhar 6).  This species is widespread and common in mangrove, and its habitat not significantly threatened as far as is known. It is provisionally rated here as of “least concern” for conservation.  The capsules are common in drift along the shore. The dorsal ridge of the capsule, often described as a keel, is homologous with a wing and actually functions as a sail. Fruits float on the surface of the ocean always with the ridge or wing upward and they are widely distributed by a combination of currents and wind. The record from T 8 is based on a sight record by Luke (pers. comm.) at Mtwara Mnazi Bay/Ruvuma Est MNP)<br />
http://database.prota.org/PROTAhtml/Heritiera%20littoralis_En.htm: Uses: In eastern Africa the tree boles are used to make masts of boats, for sh
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11804.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Lodoicea maldivica (Arecaceae) – Seychelles nut; native to the Seychelles islands – the single-seeded nuts of the Seychelles nut belong to one of the most extraordinary palms and take 7-10 years to mature. At the time the Seychelles were still undiscovered, specimens like the illustrated one were highly prized in Europe; length of fruit: 33cm.<br />
Snippets from the internet: Classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List --- http://www.arkive.org/coco-de-mer/lodoicea-maldivica/#text=Biology 
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11734.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Alnus glutinosa (Betulaceae) - black alder, common alder, European alder; native to Europe (and SW Asia);<br />
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alnus_glutinosa: Alnus glutinosa is important as coppice-wood on marshy ground. The wood is soft, white when first cut and turning to pale red; the knots are beautifully mottled. Under water the wood is very durable, and it is therefore used for piles. The supports of the Rialto at Venice, and many buildings at Amsterdam, are of Alder wood. It is also the traditional wood burnt to produce smoked fish and other smoked foods, though in some areas other woods are more often used now. Furniture is sometimes made from the wood, as were clogs, and it supplies excellent charcoal for gunpowder. The bark is astringent; it is used for tanning and dyeing. Alnus glutinosa is also cultivated and locally naturalised in eastern North America.<br />
<br />
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Alnus+glutinosa: medicinal and other uses:<br />
The bark is alterative, astringent, cathartic, febrifuge and tonic[4, 7, 14, 46, 269]. The fresh bark will cause vomiting, so use dried bark for all but emetic purposes[21]. A decoction of the dried bark is used to bathe swellings and inflammations, especially of the mouth and throat[4, 9, 21, 254]. The powdered bark and the leaves have been used as an internal astringent and tonic, whilst the bark has also been used as an internal and external haemostatic against haemorrhage[21]. The dried bark of young twigs are used, or the inner bark of branches 2 - 3 years old[9]. It is harvested in the spring and dried for later use[9]. Boiling the inner bark in vinegar produces a useful wash to treat lice and a range of skin problems such as scabies and scabs[21].
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11929.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.     <br />
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Acacia auriculiformis (Fabaceae), commonly known as Auri, Earleaf acacia, Earpod wattle, Northern black wattle, Papuan wattle, Tan wattle, is a fast-growing, crooked, gnarly and thorny tree in the family Fabaceae. It is native to Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. It grows up to 30m tall. Acacia auriculiformis has about 47 000 seeds/kg. This plant is raised as an ornamental plant, as a shade tree and it is also raised on plantations for fuelwood throughout southeast Asia Oceana and in Sudan. Its wood is good for making paper, furniture and tools. It contains tannin useful in animal hide tanning. [from Wikipedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acacia_auriculiformis]<br />
interesting weblinks:<br />
http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/plants/acacia.htm<br />
http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org/sea/Products/AFDbases/af/asp/SpeciesInfo.asp?SpID=10: Products: Fodder: Not widely used as fodder, but in India 1-year-old plantations are browsed by cattle. Apiculture: The flowers are a source of pollen for honey production. Fuel: A major source of firewood, its dense wood and high energy (calorific value of 4500-4900 kcal/kg) contribute to its popularity. It provides very good charcoal that glows well with little smoke and does not spark. Fibre: The wood is extensively used for paper pulp. Plantation-grown trees have been found promising for the production of unbleached kraft pulp and high-quality, neutral, sulphite semi-chemical pulp. Large-scale plantations have already been established, as in Kerala, India, for the production of pulp. Timber: T
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11910.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Zeyheria sp. (probably Z. montana; Bignoniaceae) - Zeyheria is a South American genus with two species, occurring mostly in drier environments of sub-Amazonian Brazil and ranging west to Bolivia (Gentry 1992). Zeyheria montana Martius is widely distributed in the Brazilian territory, occurring between 350–1000 m elevation from the states of Maranhão, Paraná , specially in the Brazilian Central Plateau ‘‘Cerrado’’ vegetation. It is a 1–3 m tall shrub, which eventually develops into a tree.<br />
Uses: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19148414: Zeyheria montana leaf possesses anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities, which could be of relevance for the pharmacological control of pain and inflammatory processes
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11861.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Nelumbo nucifera (Nelumbonaceae) – sacred lotus; native from Asia to Australia – fruit consisting of the enlarged floral axis with numerous chambers each containing a single-seeded nutlet. As the long flexible fruit stalks sway in the wind, the nutlets are flung out and thrown into the water where they immediately sink to the bottom. Enclosed in the extremely hard pericarp of the nutlet, lotus seeds can retain their viability for more than 1,000 years.  With its waterlily-like flowers and aquatic lifestyle the sacred lotus superficially resembles waterlilies (Nymphaeaceae) although its closest living relatives have been shown to be the plane trees (Platanaceae) and members of the Proteaceae family. The sacred lotus has a deep religious meaning for Hindus and Bhuddists in India, Tibet and China where it has been cultivated since the 12th century BC. 
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11795.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Cerbera manghas (Apocynaceae) – pink-eyed cerbera, sea mango; native from the Seychelles to the Pacific – drift fruit; commonly found as flotsam on beaches in the Indian and Pacific Ocean. After the outer skin of the fruit has rotten away, the cage of woody vascular bundles enclosing a massive corky mesocarp with large intercellular air-spaces that affords the fruit excellent and long-lasting buoyancy in sea water; length of fruit: 9cm. <br />
Wikipedia: The leaves and the fruits contain the potent cardiac glycoside cerberin, which is extremely poisonous if ingested. People in olden times used the sap of the tree as a poison for animal hunting. The fruit was reportedly eaten to commit suicide in the Marquesas Islands. Because of its deadly poisonous seeds, the genus name is coming from Cerberus, the hell dog from the Greek mythology, hence indicating the toxicity of the seeds. In Madagascar, the seeds were used in sentence rituals to poison kings and queens  
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11767.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Afzelia africana (Fabaceae) – African mahogany; collected in Burkina Faso – open fruit (legume) consisting of the two halves of the single carpel; inside the fruit are a number of large black seeds with a bright orange-red aril attracting birds for dispersal. Because of their attractive appearance the seeds are also used by makers of botanical jewellery; length of pod: 17.5cm.<br />
From Wikipedia: Mature trees grow between 10 and 20 meters in height. They are prized for their quality wood, their bark which has many medicinal uses, and their nitrogen-rich leaves which enrich the soil.
    MM7753_2010-07-22_11715.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Swietenia mahagoni (Meliaceae) – West Indian mahogany; native to tropical America – fruit (septifragal capsule); typical of the mahogany family, the fruit contains many unilaterally winged seeds tightly packed around the central column of the fruit; length 11.5cm<br />
weblinks: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swietenia_mahagoni
    MM7753_2010-07-22_11693.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Pterocarpus indicus (Fabaceae)<br />
<br />
Pterocarpus indicus (Pashu Padauk, Malay Paduak, New Guinea Rosewood, or, ambiguously, "Narra" which can refer to several Pterocarpus species) is a species of Pterocarpus native to southeastern Asia, northern Australasia, and the western Pacific Ocean islands, in Cambodia, southernmost China, East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Ryukyu Islands, the Solomon Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam. Other names include Narra (Philippines), Sonokembang (Indonesia), Angsana or Sena (Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore), Tnug (Cambodia).<br />
other interesting websites:<br />
http://www.winrock.org/fnrm/factnet/factpub/FACTSH/P_indicus.html
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11942.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Butea monosperma (Fabaceae) - Flame of the Forest, bastard teak; native to southeast Asia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butea: Butea is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the pea family, Fabaceae. It has two species. Butea monosperma, also known as Flame of the Forest or Bastard Teak in English, Kingshuk or Palash in Bengali or Hindi, is native to India and Southeast Asia, where it is used for timber, resin, fodder, medicine, and dye. Butea is also a host to the Lac insect, which produces natural lacquer.<br />
In West Bengal it is associated with Spring (season). Butea is named after John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute (1713-1792), member of parliament, prime minister for one year, and a patron of botany.
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11938.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Harpagophytum zeyheri (Pedaliaceae) – devils’ claw, grapple plant; native to southern Africa (widespread in southern Africa, from Namibia and Zambia south to Botswana and Zimbabwe) – fruit with large woody grapples adapted to cling to the feet and fur of animals. The tough feet of ostriches are well protected against the sharp spines of this fruit but animals with cleft hoofs or relatively soft soles can suffer terrible wounds. The Khoisan peoples of the Kalahari Desert have used the tuberous root of the devil’s claw for thousands of years to treat pain during pregnancy and to prepare ointments to heal sores, boils and other skin problems. Extracts from dried roots are presently sold as a natural remedy against pain and inflammation caused by arthritis and other painful ailments; length of fruit: 9cm.  --- THE FRUIT YOU PHOTOGRAPHED BELONGS TO HARPAGOPHYTUM ZEYHERI, WHICH IS VERY SIMILAR TO HARPAGOPHYTUM PROCUMBENS; THE TWO SPECIES MAINLY DIFFER IN GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION AND THE STRUCTURE OF THEIR FRUITS; The fruits of H. procumbens have very long, curved arms, while those of H. zeyheri are much less extravagant (pretty cool as mousetraps but the plants have significant medicinal properties! See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpagophytum). Both species are probably used in the same way by the Khoisan bush people as well as the pharmaceutical industry. <br />
 <br />
The most infamous member of the sesame family is Harpagophytum procumbens, aptly called grappling hook, grapple plant or, like its New World relatives, devil’s claw. Used as mouse traps in Madagascar, the almost preposterously horrid looking woody pods can inflict gruesome wounds to animals with cleft hoofs or relatively soft soles.
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11844.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Pinus radiata (Pinaceae) - Monterey pine; wikipedia: The Monterey Pine is widely used in private gardens and public landscapes in temperate California, and similar climates around the world. It is a fast-growing tree, adaptable to a broad range of soil types and climates, though does not tolerate temperatures below about -15°C. Its fast growth makes it ideal for landscapes and forestry; in a good situation, P. radiata can reach its full height in 40 years or so.<br />
interesting weblinks: http://www.conifers.org/pi/pin/radiata.htm
    MM7753_2010-07-22_11681.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Ceiba pentrandra (Malvaceae) - kapok, Java cotton, Java kapok, silk cotton; native to tropical America; Inside the large capsules, the smooth, globular seeds are embedded in a mass of white silky hair produced by the carpel walls. These hairs have some valuable properties. Due to the wide air-filled lumina they are extremely light and provide a good insulation material and stuffing for mattresses. Moreover, the hairs possess a waterproof outer layer (cuticle) which renders them almost unwettable. Able to support thirty times its own weight in water, kapok is therefore also used as a stuffing for life vests. Kapok has also been used e.g. for arrow-proof jackets by Matico Indians.<br />
Websites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapok<br />
http://www.tropilab.com/ceiba-pen.html
    MM7753_2010-07-22_11698.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Ravenala madagascariensis (Strelitziaceae) – traveller’s palm; native to Madagascar - a close relative of the bird-of-paradise-flower, the traveller’s palm has very similar fruits but the seeds are wrapped in blue instead of orange arils.<br />
Interesting weblinks:<br />
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravenala_madagascariensis
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11956.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Trapa natans (Lythraceae) - water caltrop, water chestnut, horn nut; native to Eurasia & Africa<br />
Trapa natans (water caltrop, horn nut), has been cultivated in China for more than three thousand years but the crunchy water chestnuts commonly used in Chinese cooking are the fleshy corms (not seeds) of the totally unrelated spike rush (Eleocharis dulcis, Cyperaceae).<br />
weblinks:<br />
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_caltrop<br />
http://www.invasive.org/species/subject.cfm?sub=3499
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11897.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Enterolobium cyclocarpum (Leguminosae) – guanacaste; native to tropical America, the native tree of Costa Rica – fruit (camara); attractive to modern introduced horses, the guanacaste's fruits were once probably dispersed by extinct, horse-like herbivores; diameter 8cm<br />
 
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11773.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Contacts: <br />
Richard Broad<br />
Rare Breeds Survival Trust<br />
 Stoneleigh Park, Nr. Kenilworth,  Warwickshire<br />
UK     DCV8 2LG<br />
Phone:  01834 860886<br />
07772 007399<br />
Email: r.broad@rbst.org.uk<br />
<br />
Sally Renshaw<br />
Rare Breeds Survival Trust<br />
Phone:  +44 024 7669 6551<br />
+44 (0)2476 698764<br />
Email: sally@rbst.org.uk<br />
<br />
Paul Smith<br />
Kew Millennium Seed Bank<br />
 Wakehurst Place,  Ardingly, West Sussex<br />
UK<br />
RH17 6TN<br />
Phone:  +44 1444 894 111<br />
Email: p.smith@kew.org  Paul Smith<br />
Kew Millennium Seed Bank<br />
 Wakehurst Place,  Ardingly, West Sussex<br />
UK<br />
RH17 6TN<br />
Phone:  +44 1444 894 111<br />
Email: p.smith@kew.org
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11924.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Trapa bicornis (Lythraceae) - devil's pod, also known as bat nut, goat head, null nut, and buffalo nut - this species is sometimes even combined with Trapa natans (i.e. the two are treated as a single variable species) and much of the description above also applies to T. bicornis. --- Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_caltrop]: The water caltrop, water chestnut or Singhara or Paniphal is either of two species of the genus Trapa: Trapa natans and Trapa bicornis. Both species are floating annual aquatic plants, growing in slow-moving water up to 5 meters deep, native to warm temperate parts of Eurasia and Africa. They bear ornately shaped fruits, which in the case of T. bicornis resemble the head of a bull, each fruit containing a single very large starchy seed. It has been cultivated in China and India for at least 3,000 years for these seeds, which are boiled and sold as an occasional street side snack in the south of that country<br />
<br />
[http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Trapa+bicornis]: Seed edible after cooking. A crunchy texture with a bland flavour. Rich in starch, the raw seed contains a deleterious principle that is destroyed by cooking. The cooked seed can be dried and ground into a powder. The flowers are astringent in fluxes. The fruit is used in the treatment of fever and sunstroke. The plant is anticancer, antipyretic and tonic.
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11912.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Bixa orellana (Bixaceae) - annato, lipstick tree; native to South America. The genus Bixa is monotypic and a member of the family Bixaceae (16 species in 3 genera). The species is especially cultivated for its red colouring obtained from the testa of the seeds, the original Amerindian body paint which is also effective as an insect repellent. The red colour is due to several apocarotenoids located in the seed epidermis, of which bixin (9'Z-6,6'-diapocarotene-6,6'-dioate) is the most important. Several more carotenoids and apocarotenoids have been identified; their total amount varies strongly, but may reach up to 7% of the dry seeds' mass. Bixin was formerly an important dyestuff but is now replaced by Congo red for fabric but still used in food esp. cheese, butter, margarine and chocolate as it is almost tasteless. It is also used in soaps and other skin products (there sometimes also called the lipstick tree). Bixa orellana, also called annato, possesses extrafloral nectaries to attract ants that ward off predators (seed production doubles in the presence of ants) (from Mabberley 1997 and Gernod Katzer’s Spice Pages). Common names for Bixa orellana include: Orleansbaum, achuete, annatto, urucum, urucu, rocucou, anato, achiote, kuswé.<br />
The scientific species name orellana reminds to Francisco de Orellana, a Spanish explorer of the 16th century. Together with Francisco Pizarro, Orellana had been involved in the destruction of the Inca empire; in 1540, he participated in another expedition led by Gonzalo Pizarro. Following rumours about gold and cinnamon trees, about 2000 Spaniards entered to Peruvian and Brazilian jungles, where most of them perished. Orellana abandoned the party and made his way eastward, where he (more or less by chance) discovered the Amazonas river and earned scientific fame quite undeservedly. By confusion of the Spanish name with the French town Orle
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11854.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Prosopis strombulifera (Fabaceae) - Argentine screwbean, creeping screwbean; native to Argentina - Prosopis strombulifera is classified by the U.S. Federal Government as a NOXIOUS WEED (present esp. in California).<br />
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosopis_strombulifera: Prosopis strombulifera is a species of mesquite or algarrobo, a shrub in the legume family. It is known by the English common names Argentine screwbean and creeping screwbean and the Spanish common name retortuño.[1] This shrub is native to Argentina, where it grows in saline soils. It became well-known in California after it was introduced to Imperial County and took hold in the wild, growing as an invasive noxious weed.[1] The plant grows from a network of long, spreading roots and may grow to three meters in height. Many plants may grow together in an area, forming a monotypic stand. The shrub has waxy-textured leaves made up of a pair of leaflets which are each divided into several pairs of secondary leaflets each up to a centimeter long. Whitish spines up to 2 centimeters long appear near the leaf bases. The inflorescence is a spherical head of many very narrow tubelike yellow flowers, the head measuring about 1.5 centimeters wide. The fruit is a bright yellow seed pod coiled tightly into a cylindrical stick up to 5 centimeters long. It contains several greenish seeds each about half a centimeter long.<br />
other weblinks:<br />
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesquite
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11922.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Bertholletia excelsa (Lecythidaceae) – Brazil nut; native to Brazil – large woody fruit with animal-made hole affording a view of an eroded seed. In its natural habitat, the Brazilian rainforest, the mature fruits fall on the ground where agoutis (cat-size brown rodents) are the only animals that are able to gnaw their way through the fruit wall into the seeds. They eat some of the seeds of a fruit and cache the rest for subsequent use. Seeds left in a forgotten cache eventually germinate after 12 to 18 months and give rise to a new Brazil nut tree. <br />
Snippets from the internet: A forest tree, native to northern Brazil and Guiana, that grows 100' tall and has been grown in Hawaii. The fruit is round, woody, 6" long and contains 12-24 nuts per fruit. Almost all of the commercial crop is collected from wild trees<br />
Very good info about the economy etc. of the Brazil nut: http://www.rain-tree.com/brazilnu.htm
    MM7753_2010-07-22_11725.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Ricinus communis (Euphorbiaceae) - castor oil plant; native to tropical Africa, naturalized throughout the tropics - seeds; the seeds of the castor oil plant, called 'castor beans', contain a very valuable oil that is used both as a purgative as well as a lubricant for jet engines and heavy machinery. The seeds are also infamous for containing ricin, one of the strongest poisons found in nature. One milligram can already be enough to kill an adult. At their micropylar end the seeds bear a fatty elaiosome to attract ants for dispersal; seeds c. 12mm long.<br />
Some interesting facts about Ricinus:<br />
Ricin: The seeds from the castor bean plant, Ricinus communis, are poisonous to people, animals and insects. One of the main toxic proteins is "ricin", named by Stillmark in 1888 when he tested the bean's extract on red blood cells and saw them agglutinate. Now we know that the agglutination was due to another toxin that was also present, called RCA (Ricinus communis agglutinin). Ricin is a potent cytotoxin but a weak hemagglutinin, whereas RCA is a weak cytotoxin and a powerful hemagglutinin. Poisoning by ingestion of the castor bean is due to ricin, not RCA, because RCA does not penetrate the intestinal wall, and does not affect red blood cells unless given intravenously. If RCA is injected into the blood, it will cause the red blood cells to agglutinate and burst by hemolysis. Perhaps just one milligram of ricin can kill an adult. The symptoms of human poisoning begin within a few hours of ingestion. The symptoms are: abdominal pain, vomiting and (sometimes bloody) diarrhea. Within several days there is severe dehydration, a decrease in urine, and a decrease in blood pressure. If death has not occurred in 3-5 days, the victim usually recovers.<br />
Castor oil: Castor beans are pressed to extract castor oil which is used for medicinal purposes. Ricin does not partition into the oil because
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11952.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Mucuna sp. (Fabaceae) - hamburger bean; native to Central and South America<br />
Apart from the sea-heart (Entada gigas), the most famous sea beans are the true sea bean (Mucuna sloanei and M. urens), Mucuna urens (Fabaceae), true sea bean or hamburger bean; diameter of seed: c. 2.5cm;<br />
interesting weblinks:<br />
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/mucuna.htm<br />
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mucuna
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11908.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Heritiera littoralis (Malvaceae) – looking-glass mangrove, native to the Old World tropics; the seawater-proof nut-like fruit contains a single round seed surrounded by a large air space. The prominent keel on their back acts like the sail; fruit up to 10cm long <br />
http://mangrove.nus.edu.sg/guidebooks/text/1062.htm: Low, much branched, evergreen tree, to 15 m tall; bark pinkish gray, smooth becoming flaky when older; leaf blades dark green above and silvery white below, withering dull orange-yellow, oblong to elliptic, leathery; flowers in hanging yellowish tassels; fruits purple-brown, woody, shiny with a stiff keel on one side. The hard and strong timber is valued for masts, when it can be got straight enough. It is also used for canoes, firewood, house posts, joists, pressers, telegraph poles, wheel-hubs and boat-ribs. An extract of the seed can be used to treat diarrhoea and dysentery .<br />
http://plants.jstor.org/flora/ftea009311?cookieSet=1: LOCAL USES (in East Africa). Trunks of this species are used for dhow masts in Lamu (Abdulla 1139) and Zanzibar (U.O.P.Z.) and were formerly used for railroad sleepers (Farquhar 6).  This species is widespread and common in mangrove, and its habitat not significantly threatened as far as is known. It is provisionally rated here as of “least concern” for conservation.  The capsules are common in drift along the shore. The dorsal ridge of the capsule, often described as a keel, is homologous with a wing and actually functions as a sail. Fruits float on the surface of the ocean always with the ridge or wing upward and they are widely distributed by a combination of currents and wind. The record from T 8 is based on a sight record by Luke (pers. comm.) at Mtwara Mnazi Bay/Ruvuma Est MNP)<br />
http://database.prota.org/PROTAhtml/Heritiera%20littoralis_En.htm: Uses: In eastern Africa the tree boles are used to make masts of boats, for sh
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11804.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Pterocarpus angolensis (Fabaceae) - kiaat tree; native to southern Africa<br />
Pterocarpus has remarkable fruits: anemochory, dispersal by means of barbed fruits and "Bodenroller" (winged fruits rolling along the ground), a triple strategy. The fruits are enclosed by a flat, dry involucre with a large surface and a relatively high weight. The spiny centre helps the fruit to stick to an animal (epizoochoric dispersal), the arrangement of the wings allows a dispersal by wind currents at the ground. Pterocarpus occurs in the savannah in the south of Africa (from Peter von Sengbusch, botany-online).<br />
The genus has been given a name which describes the unusual seed pods, pter meaning "wing" in Greek and carpus which means "fruit" in Greek. The central, hardened seed case is surrounded by a broad, membranous wing and is therefore called "wing fruit" or Pterocarpus. There are roughly 30 species in the genus and these may be found in the more tropical regions of the world. Four species occur in southern Africa. The specific name, angolensis means "of Angola". The brilliant dramatically red sap found in Pterocarpus gives it the common name of "bloodwood". The wood apparently bears some resemblance to the unrelated true teak from tropical east Asia (Tectona grandis) hence the common name "wild teak".
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11880.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Tipuana tipu (Leguminosae) – tipu tree; native to South America (Brazil, Bolivia & Argentina) – fruits (samaras); the 1-3-seeded, unilaterally winged samaras of the tipu tree bear a striking resemblance to the fruitlets of maples (Acer spp., Sapindaceae). A unilateral wing causes a helicopter-like flight as the diaspore rotates around its centre of gravity (i.e. the thickened, seed-bearing part of the fruit); length c. 5cm. ---  The tipu tree is widely planted as a street tree in the tropics; it is very vigorous and can become an invasive pest, such as in South Africa. The timber of the tipu tree is used for furniture.<br />
From: http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/GBASE/data/pf000407.htm: This is mainly an ornamental tree, used in urban forestry, but the leaves also constitute e good feed for stock. It is also one of the many "rose woods". It has been used in the South Sahel and North Sudanese ecozones for street and amenity plantations, as well as in Dakar, Cairo, Lisbon, Tunis, Sousse, Jerusalem etc.
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11791.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Sophora secundiflora (Fabaceae) - Texas mountain laurel, mescal bean; native to North America (Texas, New Mexico, northern Mexico)<br />
The hard, fibrous and indehiscent camaras of the Texas mountain laurel (Sophora secundiflora, Fabaceae-Papilionoideae) appear to be adapted to dispersal by large herbivorous mammals such as antelopes. However, most of the potential dispersers in North America would have died out c. 13.000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age. The only native antelope in the southern US is the pronghorn (Antilocapra americana). Observations as to whether the pronghorn does eat the fruits of the Texas mountain laurel seem to be missing. The very hard and shiny seeds of the Texas mountain laurel are coloured bright red, a characteristic that generally indicated 'fraudulent' bird-dispersal ('fruit mimicry'). However, since the fruits are very hard and indehiscent, the conspicuous colour of the seeds is hard to explain from an adaptational point of view. Perhaps their colour is part of a two-stage dispersal mechanism, tricking birds into picking the seeds from the faeces of megafaunal herbivores.<br />
interesting weblinks:<br />
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=sose3: Sophora secundiflora is very popular as a native evergreen ornamental tree within its range, valued for its handsome, dark green foliage and lush early spring blooms. It is drought-tolerant, prefers rocky limestone soil, and is native from central Texas west to New Mexico and south to San Luis Potosi in Mexico. Like many woody plants native to rocky soils, it is slow growing. The fragrance of Texas mountain laurel flowers is reminiscent of artificial grape products. The brilliant, lacquer red seeds were valued by indigenous people for ornament and ceremonial use; they contain the highly poisonous alkaloid cytosine (or sophorine), a substance related to nicotine and widely cited as a narcot
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11949.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Martynia annua (Martyniaceae) - small-fruited devil's claw, cat's claw (not to be confused with Uncaria (Rubiaceae) which is also called cat's claw); native of Mexico, introduced and naturalized elsewhere in the tropics worldwide; a 'devil's claw' whose seed capsules resemble the upper jaw and fangs of a pit viper. Guatemalans use the sticky leaves of this plant to remove lice from fowl.
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11926.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Trapa natans (Lythraceae) - water caltrop, water chestnut, horn nut; native to Eurasia & Africa<br />
Trapa natans (water caltrop, horn nut), has been cultivated in China for more than three thousand years but the crunchy water chestnuts commonly used in Chinese cooking are the fleshy corms (not seeds) of the totally unrelated spike rush (Eleocharis dulcis, Cyperaceae).<br />
weblinks:<br />
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_caltrop<br />
http://www.invasive.org/species/subject.cfm?sub=3499
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11897.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.     <br />
Acacia auriculiformis (Fabaceae), commonly known as Auri, Earleaf acacia, Earpod wattle, Northern black wattle, Papuan wattle, Tan wattle, is a fast-growing, crooked, gnarly and thorny tree in the family Fabaceae. It is native to Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. It grows up to 30m tall. Acacia auriculiformis has about 47 000 seeds/kg. This plant is raised as an ornamental plant, as a shade tree and it is also raised on plantations for fuelwood throughout southeast Asia Oceana and in Sudan. Its wood is good for making paper, furniture and tools. It contains tannin useful in animal hide tanning. [from Wikipedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acacia_auriculiformis]<br />
interesting weblinks:<br />
http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/plants/acacia.htm<br />
http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org/sea/Products/AFDbases/af/asp/SpeciesInfo.asp?SpID=10: Products: Fodder: Not widely used as fodder, but in India 1-year-old plantations are browsed by cattle. Apiculture: The flowers are a source of pollen for honey production. Fuel: A major source of firewood, its dense wood and high energy (calorific value of 4500-4900 kcal/kg) contribute to its popularity. It provides very good charcoal that glows well with little smoke and does not spark. Fibre: The wood is extensively used for paper pulp. Plantation-grown trees have been found promising for the production of unbleached kraft pulp and high-quality, neutral, sulphite semi-chemical pulp. Large-scale plantations have already been established, as in Kerala, India, for the production of pulp. Timber: The sapwood is yellow; the heartwood light brown to dark red, straight grained and reasonably durable. The wood has a high basic density (500-650 kg/m³), is fine-grained, often attractively figured and finishes well. It is excellent for turnery articles, toys, carom coins, chessmen and handicrafts. Also used for furniture, joinery, tool handles, and f
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11910.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Cerbera manghas (Apocynaceae) – pink-eyed cerbera, sea mango; native from the Seychelles to the Pacific – drift fruit; commonly found as flotsam on beaches in the Indian and Pacific Ocean. After the outer skin of the fruit has rotten away, the cage of woody vascular bundles enclosing a massive corky mesocarp with large intercellular air-spaces that affords the fruit excellent and long-lasting buoyancy in sea water; length of fruit: 9cm. <br />
Wikipedia: The leaves and the fruits contain the potent cardiac glycoside cerberin, which is extremely poisonous if ingested. People in olden times used the sap of the tree as a poison for animal hunting. The fruit was reportedly eaten to commit suicide in the Marquesas Islands. Because of its deadly poisonous seeds, the genus name is coming from Cerberus, the hell dog from the Greek mythology, hence indicating the toxicity of the seeds. In Madagascar, the seeds were used in sentence rituals to poison kings and queens  
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11767.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Swietenia mahagoni (Meliaceae) – West Indian mahogany; native to tropical America – fruit (septifragal capsule); typical of the mahogany family, the fruit contains many unilaterally winged seeds tightly packed around the central column of the fruit; length 11.5cm<br />
weblinks: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swietenia_mahagoni
    MM7753_2010-07-22_11693.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Alnus glutinosa (Betulaceae) - black alder, common alder, European alder; native to Europe (and SW Asia);<br />
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alnus_glutinosa: Alnus glutinosa is important as coppice-wood on marshy ground. The wood is soft, white when first cut and turning to pale red; the knots are beautifully mottled. Under water the wood is very durable, and it is therefore used for piles. The supports of the Rialto at Venice, and many buildings at Amsterdam, are of Alder wood. It is also the traditional wood burnt to produce smoked fish and other smoked foods, though in some areas other woods are more often used now. Furniture is sometimes made from the wood, as were clogs, and it supplies excellent charcoal for gunpowder. The bark is astringent; it is used for tanning and dyeing. Alnus glutinosa is also cultivated and locally naturalised in eastern North America.<br />
<br />
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Alnus+glutinosa: medicinal and other uses:<br />
The bark is alterative, astringent, cathartic, febrifuge and tonic[4, 7, 14, 46, 269]. The fresh bark will cause vomiting, so use dried bark for all but emetic purposes[21]. A decoction of the dried bark is used to bathe swellings and inflammations, especially of the mouth and throat[4, 9, 21, 254]. The powdered bark and the leaves have been used as an internal astringent and tonic, whilst the bark has also been used as an internal and external haemostatic against haemorrhage[21]. The dried bark of young twigs are used, or the inner bark of branches 2 - 3 years old[9]. It is harvested in the spring and dried for later use[9]. Boiling the inner bark in vinegar produces a useful wash to treat lice and a range of skin problems such as scabies and scabs[21]. The liquid can also be used as a toothwash[21]. The leaves are astringent, galactogogue and vermifuge[7]. They are used to help reduce breast engorgement in nursing mothers[254].
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11929.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Afzelia africana (Fabaceae) – African mahogany; collected in Burkina Faso – open fruit (legume) consisting of the two halves of the single carpel; inside the fruit are a number of large black seeds with a bright orange-red aril attracting birds for dispersal. Because of their attractive appearance the seeds are also used by makers of botanical jewellery; length of pod: 17.5cm.<br />
From Wikipedia: Mature trees grow between 10 and 20 meters in height. They are prized for their quality wood, their bark which has many medicinal uses, and their nitrogen-rich leaves which enrich the soil.
    MM7753_2010-07-22_11715.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Shorea macrophylla (Dipterocarpaceae =  meranti family) - engkabang jantong (Malay), length of fruit: 12.5cm – The members of the meranti family are a dominant component of lowland tropical rainforests and exploited for their valuable timber; The calyx of the flower develops into the wings (3 large ones, 2 smaller ones) assist wind dispersal of the large, single-seeded nuts. Shorea macrophylla is the main source of illepenuts, the fruits are obtained from trees 15 years of age. It produces the biggest nuts of all engkabangs with sizes of 5.5 - 6.0 x 2.9 - 3.2cm snippets from the internet: <br />
Engkabang jantung (Shorea macrophylla) and Acacia mangium are two of the most popular wood species that frequently used as inputs for interior decoration such as cabinets, furnitures, and turnery. The plants are also used for particleboard, plywood, veneer, pulp, fence, firewood and charcoal (Sanchez, 2006, Anon,2009). Mohamad Azani et al., (2001) studied that engkabang jantung can grow very fast and form wide spreading crowns, even though it is planted under shades of the higher trees. Engkabang is a protected species and can be found scattering throughout Sarawak, usually on clay alluvial soil of riparian forest and lower slopes of clay hill sides below 600m above sea level (Anon, 2009 and Anon 2009a). The information about this species is still limited compared to Acacia mangium. Engkabang is popular due to its nut known as False Illipe Nut, which has moisturising properties that are similar to cocoa butter for skincare and haircare products (Fleckenstein, 2009).<br />
<br />
Engkabang jantung (Shorea macrophylla) and Acacia mangium are two of the most popular wood species that frequently used as inputs for interior decoration such as cabinets, furnitures, and turnery. The plants are also used for particleboard, plywood, veneer, pulp, fence, firewood and charcoal (Sanchez, 2006, Anon,2009). Moham
    MM7753_2010-07-22_11685.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Ravenala madagascariensis (Strelitziaceae) – traveller’s palm; native to Madagascar - a close relative of the bird-of-paradise-flower, the traveller’s palm has very similar fruits but the seeds are wrapped in blue instead of orange arils.<br />
Interesting weblinks:<br />
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravenala_madagascariensis
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11956.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Butea monosperma (Fabaceae) - Flame of the Forest, bastard teak; native to southeast Asia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butea: Butea is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the pea family, Fabaceae. It has two species. Butea monosperma, also known as Flame of the Forest or Bastard Teak in English, Kingshuk or Palash in Bengali or Hindi, is native to India and Southeast Asia, where it is used for timber, resin, fodder, medicine, and dye. Butea is also a host to the Lac insect, which produces natural lacquer.<br />
In West Bengal it is associated with Spring (season). Butea is named after John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute (1713-1792), member of parliament, prime minister for one year, and a patron of botany.
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  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Harpagophytum zeyheri (Pedaliaceae) – devils’ claw, grapple plant; native to southern Africa (widespread in southern Africa, from Namibia and Zambia south to Botswana and Zimbabwe) – fruit with large woody grapples adapted to cling to the feet and fur of animals. The tough feet of ostriches are well protected against the sharp spines of this fruit but animals with cleft hoofs or relatively soft soles can suffer terrible wounds. The Khoisan peoples of the Kalahari Desert have used the tuberous root of the devil’s claw for thousands of years to treat pain during pregnancy and to prepare ointments to heal sores, boils and other skin problems. Extracts from dried roots are presently sold as a natural remedy against pain and inflammation caused by arthritis and other painful ailments; length of fruit: 9cm.  --- THE FRUIT YOU PHOTOGRAPHED BELONGS TO HARPAGOPHYTUM ZEYHERI, WHICH IS VERY SIMILAR TO HARPAGOPHYTUM PROCUMBENS; THE TWO SPECIES MAINLY DIFFER IN GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION AND THE STRUCTURE OF THEIR FRUITS; The fruits of H. procumbens have very long, curved arms, while those of H. zeyheri are much less extravagant (pretty cool as mousetraps but the plants have significant medicinal properties! See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpagophytum). Both species are probably used in the same way by the Khoisan bush people as well as the pharmaceutical industry. <br />
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The most infamous member of the sesame family is Harpagophytum procumbens, aptly called grappling hook, grapple plant or, like its New World relatives, devil’s claw. Used as mouse traps in Madagascar, the almost preposterously horrid looking woody pods can inflict gruesome wounds to animals with cleft hoofs or relatively soft soles.
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  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Nelumbo nucifera (Nelumbonaceae) – sacred lotus; native from Asia to Australia – fruit consisting of the enlarged floral axis with numerous chambers each containing a single-seeded nutlet. As the long flexible fruit stalks sway in the wind, the nutlets are flung out and thrown into the water where they immediately sink to the bottom. Enclosed in the extremely hard pericarp of the nutlet, lotus seeds can retain their viability for more than 1,000 years.  With its waterlily-like flowers and aquatic lifestyle the sacred lotus superficially resembles waterlilies (Nymphaeaceae) although its closest living relatives have been shown to be the plane trees (Platanaceae) and members of the Proteaceae family. The sacred lotus has a deep religious meaning for Hindus and Bhuddists in India, Tibet and China where it has been cultivated since the 12th century BC. 
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  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Ceiba pentrandra (Malvaceae) - kapok, Java cotton, Java kapok, silk cotton; native to tropical America; Inside the large capsules, the smooth, globular seeds are embedded in a mass of white silky hair produced by the carpel walls. These hairs have some valuable properties. Due to the wide air-filled lumina they are extremely light and provide a good insulation material and stuffing for mattresses. Moreover, the hairs possess a waterproof outer layer (cuticle) which renders them almost unwettable. Able to support thirty times its own weight in water, kapok is therefore also used as a stuffing for life vests. Kapok has also been used e.g. for arrow-proof jackets by Matico Indians.<br />
Websites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapok<br />
http://www.tropilab.com/ceiba-pen.html
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  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Pinus radiata (Pinaceae) - Monterey pine; wikipedia: The Monterey Pine is widely used in private gardens and public landscapes in temperate California, and similar climates around the world. It is a fast-growing tree, adaptable to a broad range of soil types and climates, though does not tolerate temperatures below about -15°C. Its fast growth makes it ideal for landscapes and forestry; in a good situation, P. radiata can reach its full height in 40 years or so.<br />
interesting weblinks: http://www.conifers.org/pi/pin/radiata.htm
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  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Pterocarpus indicus (Fabaceae)<br />
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pterocarpus_indicus: Pterocarpus indicus (Pashu Padauk, Malay Paduak, New Guinea Rosewood, or, ambiguously, "Narra" which can refer to several Pterocarpus species) is a species of Pterocarpus native to southeastern Asia, northern Australasia, and the western Pacific Ocean islands, in Cambodia, southernmost China, East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Ryukyu Islands, the Solomon Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam. Other names include Narra (Philippines), Sonokembang (Indonesia), Angsana or Sena (Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore), Tnug (Cambodia).<br />
other interesting websites:<br />
http://www.winrock.org/fnrm/factnet/factpub/FACTSH/P_indicus.html
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  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  Dipterocarpus costulatus (Dipterocarpaceae) - keruing kipas (Malay); length of fruit: 18.5cm. The characteristic fruits bear two wings produced by only two of the five sepals of the calyx of the flower (the other 3 sepals remain small)/ The members of the meranti family (Dipterocarpaceae) are a dominant component of lowland tropical rainforests and exploited for their valuable timber.<br />
The species is currently Classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List.
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11877.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Enterolobium cyclocarpum (Leguminosae) – guanacaste; native to tropical America, the native tree of Costa Rica – fruit (camara); attractive to modern introduced horses, the guanacaste's fruits were once probably dispersed by extinct, horse-like herbivores; diameter 8cm<br />
 
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11773.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Lodoicea maldivica (Arecaceae) – Seychelles nut; native to the Seychelles islands – the single-seeded nuts of the Seychelles nut belong to one of the most extraordinary palms and take 7-10 years to mature. At the time the Seychelles were still undiscovered, specimens like the illustrated one were highly prized in Europe; length of fruit: 33cm.<br />
Snippets from the internet: Classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List --- http://www.arkive.org/coco-de-mer/lodoicea-maldivica/#text=Biology 
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11734.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Zeyheria sp. (probably Z. montana; Bignoniaceae) - Zeyheria is a South American genus with two species, occurring mostly in drier environments of sub-Amazonian Brazil and ranging west to Bolivia (Gentry 1992). Zeyheria montana Martius is widely distributed in the Brazilian territory, occurring between 350–1000 m elevation from the states of Maranhão, Paraná , specially in the Brazilian Central Plateau ‘‘Cerrado’’ vegetation. It is a 1–3 m tall shrub, which eventually develops into a tree.<br />
Uses: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19148414: Zeyheria montana leaf possesses anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities, which could be of relevance for the pharmacological control of pain and inflammatory processes
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11861.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.  <br />
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Shorea macrophylla (Dipterocarpaceae =  meranti family) - engkabang jantong (Malay), length of fruit: 12.5cm – The members of the meranti family are a dominant component of lowland tropical rainforests and exploited for their valuable timber; The calyx of the flower develops into the wings (3 large ones, 2 smaller ones) assist wind dispersal of the large, single-seeded nuts. Shorea macrophylla is the main source of illepenuts, the fruits are obtained from trees 15 years of age. It produces the biggest nuts of all engkabangs with sizes of 5.5 - 6.0 x 2.9 - 3.2cm snippets from the internet: <br />
Engkabang jantung (Shorea macrophylla) and Acacia mangium are two of the most popular wood species that frequently used as inputs for interior decoration such as cabinets, furnitures, and turnery. The plants are also used for particleboard, plywood, veneer, pulp, fence, firewood and charcoal (Sanchez, 2006, Anon,2009). Mohamad Azani et al., (2001) studied that engkabang jantung can grow very fast and form wide spreading crowns, even though it is planted under shades of the higher trees. Engkabang is a protected species and can be found scattering throughout Sarawak, usually on clay alluvial soil of riparian forest and lower slopes of clay hill sides below 600m above sea level (Anon, 2009 and Anon 2009a). The information about this species is still limited compared to Acacia mangium. Engkabang is popular due to its nut known as False Illipe Nut, which has moisturising properties that are similar to cocoa butter for skincare and haircare products (Fleckenstein, 2009).<br />
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Engkabang jantung (Shorea macrophylla) and Acacia mangium are two of the most popular wood species that frequently used as inputs for interior decoration such as cabinets, furnitures, and turnery. The plants are also used for particleboard, plywood, veneer, pulp, fence, firewood and charcoal (Sanchez, 2006, Anon,2009).
    MM7753_2010-07-22_11685.jpg
  • Xylomelum pyriforme (Proteaceae) - woody pear; native to SE Australia; please see this website for more detailed information: http://anpsa.org.au/x-pyr.html<br />
For more info visit: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Xylomelum~pyriforme
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11783.jpg
  • Xylomelum pyriforme (Proteaceae) - woody pear; native to SE Australia; please see this website for more detailed information: http://anpsa.org.au/x-pyr.html<br />
For more info visit: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Xylomelum~pyriforme
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11783.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11924.jpg
  • Seed from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank collection at Wakehurst, outside London in the UK.
    MM7753_2010-07-23_11745.jpg