Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Laminaria
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Laminaria | |
|---|---|
| Laminaria hyperborea | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Chromalveolata |
| Phylum: | Heterokontophyta |
| Class: | Phaeophyceae |
| Order: | Laminariales |
| Family: | Laminariaceae |
| Genus: | Laminaria J. V. Lamouroux |
| Species | |
| c. 30 species; see text | |
Main article: Laminaria stick
The name also refers to the use of this algae to dilate the cervix
when induction of pregnancy is necessary. It serves to absorb moisture
and then expand, subsequently expanding the cervix.The greater proportion of commercial cultivation is for algin, iodine and mannitol, which are used in a range of industrial applications. In South Korea it is processed into a sweetmeat known as laminaria jelly. The largest producer of kelp products is China. [4]
According to C.Michael Hogan the life cycle of the genus involves a diploid generational system.[5]
Laminaria japonica (J. E. Areschoug — Japón) [6] is now regarded as a synonym of Saccharina japonica[7] and Laminaria saccharina is now classified as Saccharina latissima.[8]
Species
- Laminaria abyssalis A.B. Joly & E.C. Oliveira — South American Atlantic[9][10]
- Laminaria agardhii Kjellman[11] — North American Atlantic [12]
- Laminaria appressirhiza J. E. Petrov & V. B. Vozzhinskaya [13]
- Laminaria brasiliensis A. B. Loly & E. C. Oliveira
- Laminaria brongardiana Postels & Ruprecht [14]
- Laminaria bulbosa J. V. Lamouroux
- Laminaria bullata Kjellman
- Laminaria complanata (Setchell & N. L. Garder) Muenscher
- Laminaria digitata (Hudson) J. V. Lamouroux
- Laminaria ephemera Setchell — Pacific of North America: From Vancouver to California [15]
- Laminaria farlowii Setchell — Coast of the North American Pacific [15]
- Laminaria groenlandica — British Columbia
- Laminaria hyperborea (Gunnerus) Foslie — Northeast Atlantic, Baltic Sea and North Sea.
- Laminaria inclinatorhiza J. Petrov & V. Vozzhinskaya
- Laminaria multiplicata J. Petrov & M. Suchovejeva
- Laminaria nigripes J. Agardh
- Laminaria ochroleuca Bachelot de la Pylaie
- Laminaria pallida Greville — South Africa, [16] Indian Ocean, Canary Islands and de Tristán da Cunha [17]
- Laminaria platymeris Bachelot de la Pylaie
- Laminaria rodriguezii Barnet
- Laminaria ruprechtii (Areschoug) Setchell
- Laminaria sachalinensis (Miyabe) Miyabe
- Laminaria setchellii P. C. Silva
- Laminaria sinclairii (Harvey ex J. D. Hooker & Harvey) Farlow, Anderson & Eaton — North American Pacific coast [15]
- Laminaria solidungula J. Agardh
- Laminaria yezoensis Miyabe
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Strobilanthes kunthiana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Strobilanthes kunthiana | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Acanthaceae |
| Genus: | Strobilanthes |
| Species: | S. kunthiana |
| Binomial name | |
| Strobilanthes kunthiana (Nees) T. Anderson |
|
This plant belongs to the genus Strobilanthes which was first scientifically described by Christian Gottfried Daniel Nees von Esenbeck in the 19th century. The genus has around 250 species, of which at least 46 are found in India. Most of these species show an unusual flowering behaviour, varying from annual to 16-year blooming cycles; on the national scale there is often confusion about which plant is flowering.[2]
Plants that bloom at long intervals like Strobilanthes kunthiana are known as plietesials. Other commonly used expressions or terms which apply to part or all of the plietesial life history include gregarious flowering, mast seeding, and supra-annual synchronized semelparity (semelparity = monocarpy).[3]
Contents
Description
Neelakurinji is the best known of a genus, Strobilanthes, that has flowering cycles ranging from one to 16 years. Besides the Western Ghats, Neelakurinji is seen in the Shevroys in the Eastern Ghats. It occurs at an altitude of 1300 to 2400 metres. The plant is usually 30 to 60 cm high on the hills. They can, however, grow well beyond 180 cm under congenial conditions.[4]Masting
Some species of Strobilanthes including this one are examples of a mass seeding phenomenon termed as masting[5] which can be defined as "synchronous production of seed at long intervals by a population of plants".[6] Strict masting only occurs in species that are monocarpic (or semelparous) -- individuals of the species only reproduce once during their lifetime, then die,[7] as is the case with Strobilanthes kunthiana.Habitat
They once used to cover the Nilgiri Hills and Palani Hills like a carpet during its flowering season. Now plantations and dwellings occupy much of their habitat. In 2006, Neelakurunji flowered again in Kerala and Tamil Nadu after a gap of 12 years. Apart from Nilgris, Neelakurinji grow in grass lands of Eravikulam, hills between Klavarai in Tamil Nadu and Vattavada, near Munnar in Kerala during the season from August to December.Conservation
Kurinjimala Sanctuary protects the kurinji approximately 32 km² core habitat of the endangered Neelakurinji plant in Kottakamboor and Vattavada villages in Devakulam Taluk, Idukki district of Kerala, The Save Kurinji Campaign Council organises campaigns and, programmes for conservation of the Kurinji plant and its habit.[4]References in literature
The Kurinji flower and the associated mountainous landscape where it blooms was used in classical Tamil literature (Sangam literature) as a symbol for the union of lovers (See Sangam landscape). The famous poetic fragment "Red Earth and Pouring Rain" from the Kuruntokai makes an indirect reference to the flower.
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