Here is a Commentary on Bountiful Trees and Vegetables God (YHWH) has provided for mankind, specifically the the cherimoya, A. cherimola Mill., because of its limited distribution, has acquired few colloquial names, and most are merely local variations in spelling, such as chirimoya, cherimolia, chirimolla, cherimolier, cherimoyer. In Venezuela, it is called chirimorrinon; in Brazil, graveola, graviola, or grabiola; and in Mexico, pox or poox; in Belize, tukib; in El Salvador it is sometimes known as anona poshte; and elsewhere merely as anona, or anona blanca. In France, it is anone; in Haiti, cachiman la Chine. Indian names in Guatemala include pac, pap, tsummy and tzumux. The name, cherimoya, is sometimes misapplied to the less-esteemed custard apple, A. reticulata L. In Australia it is often applied to the atemoya (a cherimoya-sugar apple hybrid).
Description
The tree is erect but low branched and somewhat shrubby or spreading; ranging from 16 to 30 ft (5 to 9 m) in height; and its young branchlets are rusty-hairy. The leaves are briefly deciduous (just before spring flowering), alternate, 2-ranked, with minutely hairy petioles 1/4 to 1/2 in (6 to 12.5 mm) long; ovate to elliptic or ovate-lanceolate, short blunt-pointed at the apex; slightly hairy on the upper surface, velvety on the underside; 3 to 6 in (7.5-15 cm) long, 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 in (3.8-8.9 cm) wide.
Fragrant flowers, solitary or in groups of 2 or 3, on short, hairy stalks along the branches, have 3 outer, greenish, fleshy, oblong, downy petals to 1 1/4 in (3 cm) long and 3 smaller, pinkish inner petals. A compound fruit, the cherimoya is conical or somewhat heart-shaped, 4 to 8 in (10 to 20 cm) long and up to 4 in (10 cm) in width, weighing on the average 5 1/2 to 18 oz (150-500 g) but extra large specimens may weigh 6 lbs (2.7 kg) or more. The skin, thin or thick, may be smooth with fingerprint like markings or covered with conical or rounded protuberances. The fruit is easily broken or cut open, exposing the snow-white, juicy flesh, of pleasing aroma and delicious, subacid flavor; and containing numerous hard, brown or black, beanlike, glossy seeds, 1/2 to 3/4 in (1.25 to 2 cm) long.
Origin and Distribution
The cherimoya is believed indigenous to the interandean valleys of Ecuador, Colombia and Bolivia. In Bolivia, it flourishes best around Mizque and Ayopaya, in the Department of Cochabamba, and around Luribay, Sapahaqui and Rio Abajo in the Department of La Paz. Its cultivation must have spread in ancient times to Chile and Brazil for it has become naturalized in highlands throughout these countries. Many authors include Peru as a center of origin but others assert that the fruit was unknown in Peru until after seeds were sent by P. Bernabe Cobo from Guatemala in 1629 and that thirteen years after this introduction the cherimoya was observed in cultivation and sold in the markets of Lima. The often-cited representations of the cherimoya on ancient Peruvian pottery are actually images of the soursop, A. muricata L. Cobo sent seeds to Mexico also in 1629. There it thrives between 4,000 and 5,000 ft (1312-1640 m) elevations.
It is commonly grown and naturalized in temperate areas of Costa Rica and other countries of Central America. In Argentina, the cherimoya is mostly grown in the Province of Tucuman. In 1757, it was carried to Spain where it remained a dooryard tree until the 1940's and 1950's when it gained importance in the Province of Granada, in the Sierra Nevada mountains, as a replacement for the many orange trees that succumbed to disease and had to be taken out. By 1953, there were 262 acres (106 ha) of cherimoyas in this region.
In 1790 the cherimoya was introduced into Hawaii by Don Francisco de Paulo Marin. It is still casually grown in the islands and naturalized in dry upland forests. In 1785, it reached Jamaica, where it is cultivated and occurs as an escape on hillsides between 3,500 and 5,000 ft (1,066-1,524 m). It found its way to Haiti sometime later. The first planting in Italy was in 1797 and it became a favored crop in the Province of Reggio Calabria. The tree has been tried several times in the Botanic Gardens, Singapore first around 1878—but has always failed to survive because of the tropical climate. In the Philippines, it does well in the Mountain Province at an altitude above 2,460 ft (750 m). It was introduced into India and Ceylon in 1880 and there is small-scale culture in both countries at elevations between 1,500 and 7,000 ft (457-2,134 m). The tree was planted in Madeira in 1897, then in the Canary Islands, Algiers, Egypt and, probably via Italy, in Libya, Eritrea and Somalia.
The United States Department of Agriculture imported a number of lots of cherimoya seeds from Madeira in 1907 (S.P.I. Nos. 19853, 19854, 19855, 19898, 19901, 19904, 19905).
Seeds from Mexico were planted in California in 1871. There were 9,000 trees in that state in 1936 but many of them were killed by a freeze in 1937. Several small commercial orchards were established in the 1940's. At present there may be less than 100 acres (42 ha) in the milder parts of San Diego County. Seeds, seedlings and grafted trees from California and elsewhere have been planted in Florida many times but none has done well. Any fruits produced have been of poor quality.
Varieties
In Peru, cherimoyas are classed according to degree of surface irregularity, as: 'Lisa', almost smooth; 'Impresa', with "fingerprint" depressions; 'Umbonada', with rounded protrusions; 'Papilonado', or 'Tetilado', with fleshy, nipple-like protrusions; 'Tuberculada', with conical protrusions having wartlike tips. At the Agricultural Experiment Station "La Molina", several named and unnamed selections collected in northern Peru are maintained and evaluated. Among the more important are: #1, 'Chavez', fruits up to 3.3 lbs (1 1/2 kg); February to May; #2, 'Names', fruits January to April; #3, 'Sander', fruits with moderate number of seeds; July and early August; #4, fruit nearly smooth, not many seeds, 1.1 to 2.2 lbs (1/2-1 kg), June to August; #5, nearly smooth, very sweet, 2.2 Ibs (1 kg), March to June; #6, fruit with small protuberances, 1.1 to 2.2 Ibs (1/2-1 kg), not many seeds; #7 fruit small, very sweet, many seeds, March to May; #8, fruit very sweet, 1.1 to 2.2 Ibs (1/2 1 kg), with very few seeds, February to April.
In the Department of Antioquia, Colombia, a cultivar called 'Rio Negro' has heart shaped fruits weighing 1 3/4 to 2.2 Ibs (0.8-1 kg). The cherimoyas of Mizque, Cochabamba, Bolivia, are locally famed for their size and quality. 'Concha Lisa' and 'Bronceada' are grown commercially in Chile. Other cultivars mentioned in Chilean literature are 'Concha Picuda' and 'Terciopelo'.
Dr. Ernesto Saavedra, University of Chile, after ex perimenting with growth regulators for 4 years, developed a super cherimoya, 4 to 6 in (10-15 cm) wide and weighing up to 4 Ibs (1.8 kg); symmetrical, easy to peel and seedless, hence having 25% more flesh than an ordinary cherimoya. However, the larger fruits are subject to cracking.
The leading commercial cultivars in Spain are 'Pinchua' (thin-skinned) and 'Baste' (thick-skinned.)
Named cultivars in California include:
'Bays'—rounded, fingerprinted, light green, medium to large, of excellent flavor; good bearer; early.
'Whaley'—long-conical, sometimes shouldered at the base, slightly and irregularly tuberculate, with fairly thick, downy skin. Of good flavor, but membranous sac around each seed may adhere to flesh. Bears well; grown commercially; early.
'Deliciosa'—long-conical, prominently papillate; skin tbin, slightly downy; variable in flavor; only fair in quality; generally bears well but doesn't ship well; cold-resistant. Midseason.
'Booth'—short-conical, fingerprinted, medium to large; of good flavor; next to 'Deliciosa in hardiness. Late.
'McPherson'—short conical, fingerprinted but umbonate at the base; medium to large; of high quality; bears well. Midseason.
'Carter'—long-conical, but not shouldered; smooth or faintly fingerprinted; skin green to bronze; bears well. Late. Leaves wavy or twisted.
'Ryerson'—long-conical, smooth or fingerprinted, with tbick, tough, green or yellow green skin; of fair quality; ships well. Leaves wavy or twisted.
'White'—short-conical with rounded apex; slightly papil late to umbonate; medium to large; skin medium thick; of good flavor; doesn t bear well near the coast.
'Chaffey'—introduced in 1940s; rounded, short, finger printed; of medium size; excellent quality; bears well, even without hand-pollination.
'Ott'—(Patent #656)—introduced in 1940's; long conical to heart shaped, slightly tuberculate; of excellent flavor; ships well.
Among others that have been planted in California but considered inferior are: 'Horton', 'Golden Russet', 'Loma', 'Mire Vista', 'Sallmon'.
Pollination
A problem with the cherimoya is inadequate natural pollination because the male and female structures of each flower do not mature simultaneously. Few insects visit the flowers. Therefore, hand-pollination is highly desirable and must be done in a 6- to 8-hour period when the stigmas are white and sticky. It has been found in Chile that in the first flowers to open the pollen grains are loaded with starch, whereas flowers that open later have more abundant pollen, no starch grains, and the pollen germinates readily. Partly-opened flowers are collected in the afternoon and kept in a paper bag overnight. The next morning the shed pollen is put, together with moist paper, in a vial and transferred by brush to the receptive stigmas. Usually only a few of the flowers on a tree are pollinated each time, the operation being repeated every 4 or 5 days in order to extend the season of ripening. The closely related A. senegalensis Pers., if available, is a good source of abundant pollen for pollinating the cherimoya. The pollen of the sugar apple is not satisfactory. Fruits from hand-pollinated flowers will be superior in form and size.
Climate
The cherimoya is subtropical or mild-temperate and does not succeed in the lowland tropics. It requires long days. In Colombia and Ecuador, it grows naturally at elevations between 4,600 and 6,600 ft (1,400-2,000 m) where the temperature ranges between 62.6° and 68°F (17°-20°C). In Peru, the ideal climate for the cherimoya is said to lie between 64.5° and 77°F (18°-25°C) in the summer and 64.5° and 41°F (18°-5°C) in winter. In Guatemala, naturalized trees are common between 4,000 and 8,200 ft (1,200-2,500 m) though the tree produces best between 4,000 and 5,900 ft (1,200-1,800 m) and can be grown at elevations as low as 2,950 ft (900 m). The tree cannot survive the cold in the Valle de Mexico at 7,200 ft (2,195 m). In Argentina, young trees are wrapped with dry grass or burlap during the winter. The cherimoya can tolerate light frosts. Young trees can withstand a temperature of 26°F (-3.33°C), but a few degrees lower will severely injure or kill mature trees. In February 1949, a small scale commercial grower (B. E. Needham) in Glendora, California, reported that most of his crop was lost because of frost and snow, the cherimoya suffering more cold damage than his avocados, oranges or lemons.
The tree prefers a rather dry environment as in southern Guatemala where the rainfall is 50 in (127 cm) and there is a long dry season. It is not adaptable to northern Guatemala where the 100 inch (254 cm) rainfall is spread throughout the year.
Finally, the tree should be protected from strong winds which interfere with pollination and fruit set.
Soil
The cherimoya tree performs well on a wide range of soil types from light to heavy, but seems to do best on a medium soil of moderate fertility. In Argentina, it makes excellent growth on rockstrewn, loose, sandy loam 2 to 3 ft (0.6-0.9 m) above a gravel subsoil. The optimum pH ranges from 6.5 to 7.6. A greenhouse trial in sand has demonstrated that the first nutritional deficiency evoked in such soil is lack of calcium.
Propagation
Cherimoya seeds, if kept dry, will remain viable for several years. While the tree is traditionally grown from seed in Latin America, the tendency of seedlings to produce inferior fruits has given impetus to vegetative propagation.
Seeds for rootstocks are first soaked in water for 1 to 4 days and those that float are discarded. Then planting is done directly in the nursery row unless the soil is too cool, in which case the seeds must be placed in sand peat seedbeds, covered with 1 in (2.5 cm) of soil and kept in a greenhouse. They will germinate in 3 to 5 weeks and when the plants are 3 to 4 in (7.5-10 cm) high, they are transplanted to pots or the nursery plot with 20 in (50 cm) between rows. When 12 to 24 months old and dormant, they are budded or grafted and then allowed to grow to 3 or 4 ft (0.9-1.2 m) high before setting out in the field. Large seedlings and old trees can be topworked by cleft-grafting. It is necessary to protect the trunk of topped trees to avoid sunburn.
The cherimoya can also be grafted onto the custard apple (A. reticulata). In India this rootstock has given 90% success. Cuttings of mature wood of healthy cherimoya trees have rooted in coral sand with bottom heat in 28 days.
Culture
The young trees should be spaced 25 to 30 ft (7.5-9 m) apart each way in pits 20 to 24 in (50-60 cm) wide, enriched with organic material. In Colombia, corn (maize), vegetables, ornamental foliage plants, roses or annual flowers for market are interplanted during the first few years. In Spain, the trees are originally spaced 16.5 ft (5 m) apart with the intention of later thinning them out. Thinning is not always done and around the village of Jete, where the finest cherimoyas are produced, the trees have grown so close together as to form a forest. In the early years they are interplanted with corn, beans and potatoes.
Pruning to eliminate low branches, providing a clean trunk up to 32 in (80 cm), to improve form, and open up to sunlight and pesticide control, is done preferably during dormancy. After 6 months, fertilizer (10-8-6 N, P, K) is applied at the rate of 1/2 lb (227 g) per tree and again 6 months later at 1 lb (454 g) per tree. In the 3rd year, the fertilizer formula is changed to 6-10-8 N,P,K and each year thereafter the amount per tree is increased by 1 lb (454 g) until the level of 5 lbs (2.27 kg) is reached. Thenceforth this amount is continued each year per tree. The fertilizer is applied in trenches 6 in (15 cm) deep and 8 in (20 cm) wide dug around each tree at a distance of 5 ft (1.5 m) from the base, at first; later, at an appropriately greater distance.
Young trees are irrigated every 15 to 20 days for the first few years except during the winter when they must be allowed to go dormant—ideally for 4 months. When the first leafbuds appear, irrigation is resumed. With bearing trees, watering is discontinued as soon as the fruits are full-grown.
In Chile, attempts to increase fruit set with chemical growth regulators have been disappointing. Spraying flowers with gibberellic acid has increased fruit set and improved form and size but induces deep cracking prior to full maturity, far beyond the normal rate of cracking in fruits from natural or hand-pollinated flowers.
Cropping and Yield
The cherimoya begins to bear when 3 1/2 to 5 years old and production steadily increases from the 5th to the 10th year, when there should be a yield of 25 fruits per tree—2,024 per acre (5,000 per ha). Yields of individual trees have been reported by eyewitnesses as a dozen, 85, or even 300 fruits annually. In Colombia, the average yield is 25 fruits; as many as 80 is exceptional. In Italy, trees 30 to 35 years old produce 230 to 280 fruits annually.
The fruits must be picked when full grown but still firm and just beginning to show a slight hint of yellowish-green and perhaps a bronze cast. Bolivians judge that a fruit is at full maturity by shaking it and listening for the sound of loose seeds. Italians usually wait for the yellowish hue and the sweet aroma noticeable at a distance, picking the fruits only 24 to 28 hours prior to consumption. However, if the fruits must travel to markets in central Italy, they are harvested when the skin turns from dark-green to lighter green.
In harvesting, the fruits must be clipped from the branch so as to leave only a very short stem attached to the fruit to avoid stem caused damage to the fruits in handling, packing and shipping. [source - retrieved from http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/cherimoya.html on 1/04/2013]
In Genesis 1:11-13, "And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. (American Standard Version, ASV)[for more details, go to www.jw.org].
Sources of reading for those desiring to know even more about this fruit are:
• Morton, Julia F. Fruits of Warm Climates. Creative Resources Systems, Inc. 1987. pp. 65-69.
• Ortho Books. All About Citrus and Subtropical Fruits. Chevron Chemical Co. 1985. pp. 23-25. [[I highly recommend this book]]
• Popenoe, Wilson. Manual of Tropical and Subtropical Fruits. Hafner Press. 1974. Facsimile of the 1920 edition. pp. 161-177.
• Sanewski, G. M. Growing Custard Apples, Brisbane, Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Horticulture Branch, 1987.
• Smithsonian Institution, U.S. National Herbarium Contributions, Vol. 18 (1927).
A picture of this fruit is available at http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/cherimoya.htm
How this tree and other plants absorb water from the ground. Plants have developed an effective system to absorb, translocate, store, and utilize water. Plants contain a vast network of conduits, which consists of xylem and phloem tissues. These conducting tissues start in the roots and continue up through the trunks of trees, into the branches and then into every leaf. Phloem tissue is made of living elongated cells that are connected to one another and responsible for translocating nutrients and sugars (carbohydrates), which are produced by leaves for energy and growth. The xylem is also composed of elongated cells but once the cells are formed, they die. The walls of the xylem cells still remain intact and serve as an excellent peipline to transport water from the roots to the leaves.
The main driving force of water uptake and transport into a plant is transpiration of water from leaves through specialized openings called stomata. Heat from the sun causes the water to evaporate, setting this ‘water chain’ in motion. The evaporation creates a negative water vapor pressure. Water is pulled into the leaf to replace the water that has transpired from the leaf. This pulling of water, or tension, occurs in the xylem of the leaf. Since the xylem is a continuous water column that extends from the leaf to the roots, this negative water pressure extends into the roots and results in water uptake from the soil. [adapted from: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=follow-up-how-do-trees-ca ]
Clearly this clever water transport system shows a superior intelligence of the Creator (YHWH).
Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth."Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to www.jw.org!
How this tree and other plants absorb water from the ground. Plants have developed an effective system to absorb, translocate, store, and utilize water. Plants contain a vast network of conduits, which consists of xylem and phloem tissues. These conducting tissues start in the roots and continue up through the trunks of trees, into the branches and then into every leaf. Phloem tissue is made of living elongated cells that are connected to one another and responsible for translocating nutrients and sugars (carbohydrates), which are produced by leaves for energy and growth. The xylem is also composed of elongated cells but once the cells are formed, they die. The walls of the xylem cells still remain intact and serve as an excellent peipline to transport water from the roots to the leaves.
The main driving force of water uptake and transport into a plant is transpiration of water from leaves through specialized openings called stomata. Heat from the sun causes the water to evaporate, setting this ‘water chain’ in motion. The evaporation creates a negative water vapor pressure. Water is pulled into the leaf to replace the water that has transpired from the leaf. This pulling of water, or tension, occurs in the xylem of the leaf. Since the xylem is a continuous water column that extends from the leaf to the roots, this negative water pressure extends into the roots and results in water uptake from the soil. [adapted from: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=follow-up-how-do-trees-ca ]
Clearly this clever water transport system shows a superior intelligence of the Creator (YHWH).
Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth."Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to www.jw.org!
Here is a Commentary on Bountiful Trees and Vegetables God (YHWH) has provided for mankind, specifically the The Cherry of the Rio Grande, Eugenia aggregata, is native to Brazil and grows quite well in south Florida. It is a very beautiful small evergreen tree, 20 - 25 feet in height, with dark green, glossy, waxy leaves. As the tree gets older the bark peels off, resulting in a smooth and very attractive trunk.
In the spring the cherry of the Rio Grande is one of our early flowering tropical fruits and often blossoms in the first part of March. The flowering season extends over several months, and in some years flowers are still being produced in the early part of May. The flowers are white and quite showy. The one inch oblong fruit is a beautiful dark red to purple, and is produced soon after flowering. The fruiting season usually is April through June, and the fruit are highly prized fresh and as jellies, jams or juices. The fruits also freeze quite well, so they can be picked at maturity and frozen for later use. For persons with limited room in the landscape, cherry of the Rio Grande is ideal because it can be grown as a large bush or even as a large container specimen and still produce adequate quantities of fruit.
Cherry of the Rio Grande is usually propagated by seed, although seedlings may take up to 4 to 5 years to begin producing fruit. Although there is a lot of variation with the cherry of the Rio Grande as to the size of the fruit, there is not a lot of variation in quality, at least in my experience. Superior varieties, especially large-fruited forms, can be veneer-grafted onto seedling rootstocks. Considered a slow grower, cherry of the Rio Grande still will grow at the rate of 2 to 3 feet per year and makes a very attractive large shrub or small tree, depending on how it's trained.
Most cherry of the Rio Grande grow on a wide variety of soil types; however, they prefer a slightly acid soil, and on alkaline soils may develop some micronutrient deficiencies.
Most of the time there is little problem in our area from cold, since cherry of the Rio Grande can tolerate temperatures down to 20°F without being killed. It does not like large amounts of salt spray, and if grown right on the ocean may suffer some burned foliage. Trees should be fertilized with a fruit-tree-type fertilizer at least three times a year for good growth and fruiting. During periods of dry weather they will benefit from weekly irrigation. Avoid over-irrigation, since this often will create problems with the root system.
The only major problem associated with cherry of the Rio Grande in Florida is a die-back which can occur any time but often shows up when plants are approaching maturity.. There is no known reason for this die-back at the present; however, usually only smaller branches are affected and these can be pruned out and the plant will continue growing normally. Although suspected to be a disease, applications of fungicide have so far proved ineffective in stopping this die-back.
As with most fruits in south Florida, the fruit is attractive to the Caribbean fruit fly and in some years, fruit may be lost. Birds also find the fruit tempting and the upper parts of trees are often picked clean before the fruit is even fully mature. [source - retrieved from http://www.quisqualis.com/13chrriogjoy.html on 1/05/2013, written by Gene Joyner, when he was Extension Agent I
IFAS Palm Beach County, he is now retired.]
In Genesis 1:11-13, "And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. (American Standard Version, ASV)[for more details, go to www.jw.org].
Cherries of the Rio Grande are easy to grow, requiring relatively little maintenance for the growth of healthy, productive plants. Fruit size and quality depends to a large extent on proper nourishment and an adequate water supply at the time of fruit development. When first planted, they need a complete fertilizer in a 1-1-1 ratio, such as 6-6-6, that also contains magnesium. Start with no more than 1/4 pound at monthly or bi-monthly intervals, increasing the rates commensurate with growth. If iron deficiency in calcareous soils is a problem, this element should be applied as Sequestrene 138, injected or drenched into the soil when needed. Nutritional sprays to supply other minor elements should also be applied as needed. After the tree has matured, a fertilizer such as 8-3-9 with 5% MgO is more appropriate. The plants should be supplied with adequate water at all times but especially during bloom and fruit development. The cherry of the Rio Grande has fairly good drought tolerance. The cherry of the Rio Grande requires very little pruning to make an attractive tree and it is seldom pruned to make a hedge. [source - retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenia_aggregata on 1/05/2013]
Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth."Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to www.jw.org!
Here is a Commentary on Bountiful Trees and Vegetables God (YHWH) has provided for mankind, specifically the Chinese Hackberry Celtis sinensis
Tree grows to 10m in cultivation. Fruits are rich orange: stone pitted. A medium growing deciduous tree. Succeeds in any reasonably good soil, preferring a good fertile well-drained loamy soil. Succeeds on dry gravels and on sandy soils. Trees prefer hotter summers and more sunlight than are normal. Trees can be very long-lived, perhaps to 1000 years. (source - retrieved from http://www.seedman.com/fruit.htm on 4/2/2013)
Celtis, commonly known as hackberries, is a genus of about 60-70 species of deciduous trees widespread in warm temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, in southern Europe, southern and eastern Asia, and southern and central North America, south to central Africa, and northern and central South America. The genus is present in the fossil record at least since the Miocene of Europe.[1]
Previously included either in the elm family (Ulmaceae) or a separate family, Celtidaceae, the APG III system places Celtis in an expanded hemp family (Cannabaceae).[2][3]
The generic name originated in Latin and was applied by Pliny the Elder (23-79) to the unrelated Ziziphus lotus.[4]
Celtis occidentalis leaf
Celtis species are generally medium-sized trees, reaching 10–25 m (33–82 ft) tall, rarely up to 40 m (130 ft) tall. The leaves are alternate, simple, 3–15 cm (1.2–5.9 in) long, ovate-acuminate, and evenly serrated margins.
Small monoecious flowers appear in early spring while the leaves are still developing. Male flowers are longer and fuzzy. Female flowers are greenish and more rounded.
The fruit is a small drupe 6–10 mm (0.24–0.39 in) in diameter, edible in many species, with a dryish but sweet, sugary consistency, reminiscent of a date.
Selected species
* Celtis africana Burm.f. – White Stinkwood
* Celtis australis L. – European Hackberry, European Nettle Tree or Lote tree
* Celtis balansae Planch. (NEW CALEDONIA (AUSTRALIA))
* Celtis biondii
* Celtis brasiliensis Planch.
* Celtis bungeana L. – Bunge's Hackberry
* Celtis caucasica L. – Caucasian Hackberry
* Celtis cinnamonea
* Celtis conferta
* Celtis durandii Engl.
[ syn. C. gomphophylla Bak. ]
* Celtis ehrenbergiana (Klotzsch) Liebm. – Spiny Hackberry, granjeno (Spanish) (SOUTHERN US, MEXICO, GREATER ANTILLES, NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA)
* Celtis glabrata
* Celtis hypoleuca Planch. (NEW CALEDONIA (AUSTRALIA))
* Celtis iguanaea (Jacq.) Sarg. – Iguana Hackberry (FLORIDA (USA), MEXICO, CARIBBEAN, C and SOUTH AMERICA)
* Celtis integrifolia L. – African Hackberry
* Celtis jessoensis Koidz. – Japanese Hackberry (JAPAN, KOREA)
* Celtis koraiensis L. – Korean Hackberry
* Celtis labilis L. – Hubei Hackberry
* Celtis laevigata Willd. – Southern Hackberry or Sugar Hackberry, (SOUTHERN US / TEXAS) Sugarberry (E USA, NE MEXICO)
* Celtis lindheimeri Engelm. ex K.Koch – Lindheimer's Hackberry (TEXAS (USA), COAHUILA (MEXICO))
* Celtis loxensis
* Celtis luzonica Warb. (PHILIPPINES)
* Celtis mildbraedii Engl.
* Celtis occidentalis L. – Common Hackberry, Northern Hackberry, False Elm (E NORTH AMERICA)
* Celtis pallida – Desert Hackberry, Shiny Hackberry (SOUTHWESTERN US / TEXAS, N MEXICO)
* Celtis paniculata (Endl.) Planch. (E MALESIA, E AUSTRALIA, MICRONESIA, W POLYNESIA)
* Celtis reticulata Torr. – Netleaf Hackberry (W North America)
* Celtis schippii
* Celtis sinensis Pers. – Chinese hackberry, Chinese nettle-tree or Japanese hackberry (CHINA, JAPAN)
[ syn. C. japonica Planch.; C. sinensis var. japonica (Planch.) Nakai; C. tetrandra ssp. sinensis (Roxb.) Y.C.Tang ]
* Celtis tala Gillet ex Planch. – Tala (SOUTH AMERICA)
* Celtis tenuifolia Nutt. – Dwarf Hackberry (E NORTH AMERICA)
* Celtis tetranda Roxb.
* Celtis timorensis Span.
* Celtis tournefortii L. – Oriental Hackberry
* Celtis triflora
* Celtis trinervia
additional list source
[5] [6]
Formerly placed here
* Trema cannabina Lour. (as C. amboinensis Willd.)
* Trema lamarckiana (Schult.) Blume (as C. lamarckiana Schult.)
* Trema orientalis (L.) Blume (as C. guineensis Schumach. or C. orientalis L.)
* Trema tomentosa (Roxb.) H.Hara (as C. aspera Brongn. or C. tomentosa Roxb.)[7]
Uses and ecology
Several species are grown as ornamental trees, valued for their drought tolerance. They are a regular feature of arboreta and botanical gardens, particularly in North America. Chinese Hackberry (C. sinensis) is suited for bonsai culture, while a magnificent specimen in Daegu-myeon is one of the natural monuments of South Korea. Some, including Common Hackberry (C. occidentalis) and C. brasiliensis, are honey plants and pollen source for honeybees of lesser importance. Hackberry wood is sometimes used in cabinetry and woodworking.
The berries are often eaten locally. The Korean tea gamro cha (???, ???) contains C. sinensis leaves.
Lepidoptera
Celtis species are used as foodplants by the caterpillars of certain Lepidoptera. These include mainly brush-footed butterflies, most importantly the distinct genus Libythea (beak butterflies) and some Apaturinae (emperor butterflies):
Common Beak (Libythea lepita) caterpillars feed on Celtis
* Acytolepis puspa (Common Hedge Blue) – recorded on Chinese Hackberry (C. sinensis)
* Automeris io (Io Moth) – recorded on Southern Hackberry (C. laevigata)
* Asterocampa celtis (Hackberry Butterfly, Hackberry Emperor)
* A putative new taxon of the Two-barred Flasher (Astraptes fulgerator) cryptic species complex, provisionally called "CELT", has hitherto only been found on Celtis iguanaea.[8]
* Libythea celtis (European Beak)
* Libythea labdaca (African Beak)
* Libythea lepita (Common Beak)
* Libythea myrrha (Club Beak) – recorded on C. tetranda[verification needed]
* Nymphalis xanthomelas (Scarce Tortoiseshell) – recorded on European Hackberry (C. australis)
* Sasakia charonda (Great Purple Emperor) – recorded on Japanese Hackberry (C. jessoensis) and Pseudo-hackberry (C. japonica)
Pathogens
The plant pathogenic basidiomycete fungus Perenniporia celtis was first described from a Celtis hostplant. Some species of Celtis are threatened by habitat destruction.
Gallery
*
Celtis aetnensis with mature fruit
*
Caucasian Hackberry (Celtis caucasica) with immature fruit
*
African Hackberry (Celtis integrifolia)
*
Chinese Hackberry (Celtis sinensis)
See also
* Lotophagi
* William N. Barron
Footnotes
1. ^ Keeler (1900): pp.249-252[verification needed]
2. ^ Stevens, P.F. (2001 onwards), Angiosperm Phylogeny Website : Cannabaceae
3. ^ "Celtis L.". GRIN Taxonomy for Plants. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
4. ^ Quattrocchi, Umberto (2000). CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names. I A-C. CRC Press. p. 468. ISBN 978-0-8493-2675-2.
5. ^ "Celtis ehrenbergiana (Klotzsch) Liebm.". GRIN. USDA. 2002-01-10. Retrieved April 16, 2009.
6. ^ "Celtis sinensis Pers.". GRIN. USDA. Retrieved July 2, 2009.
7. ^ "GRIN Species Records of Celtis". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
8. ^ Hébert et al. (2004), Brower et al. (2006)
References
* BROWER, ANDREW V.Z. (2006): Problems with DNA barcodes for species delimitation: ‘ten species’ of Astraptes fulgerator reassessed (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae). Systematics and Biodiversity 4(2): 127–132. doi:10.1017/S147720000500191X PDF fulltext
* KEELER, HARRIET L. (1900): Our Native Trees and How to Identify Them. Charles Scriber's Sons, New York.
* HÉBERT, PAUL D.N.; PENTON, ERIN H.; BURNS, JOHN M.; JANZEN, DANIEL H. & HALLWACHS, WINNIE (2004): Ten species in one: DNA barcoding reveals cryptic species in the semitropical skipper butterfly Astraptes fulgerator. PNAS 101(41): 14812-14817. doi:10.1073/pnas.0406166101 PDF fulltext Supporting Appendices (source - retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtis on 4/2/2013)
In Genesis 1:11-13, "And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. (American Standard Version, ASV)[for more details, go to www.jw.org].
Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth."Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to www.jw.org!
Here is a Commentary on Bountiful Trees and Vegetables God (YHWH) has provided for mankind, specifically the Chinese Quince, Pseudocydonia sinensis, the only species in the genus Pseudocydonia, is a deciduous or semi-evergreen tree in the family Rosaceae, native to eastern Asia in China. It is closely related to the east Asian genus Chaenomeles, and is sometimes placed in Chaenomeles as C. sinensis,[3] but notable differences are the lack of thorns, and that the flowers are produced singly, not in clusters. It is closely related to the European Quince genus Cydonia,[4] but one notable difference is the serrated leaves.
In China, the species is called "mugua", while in Korea, it is called "mogwa" (hangul: ??; Chinese/hanja: ?? - not to be confused with "papaya", whose Chinese transliteration is also called ??) which is used for medicine or for making beverages.[5] In Japan, it is known as "karin - ??" (? - a flower, ? - a pear of an Asian round variety that is called "nashi").
It grows to 10–18 m tall, with a dense, twiggy crown. The leaves are alternately arranged, simple, 6–12 cm long and 3–6 cm broad, and have a serrated margin. The flowers are 2.5–4 cm diameter, with five pale pink petals; flowering is in mid spring. The fruit is a large ovoid pome 12–17 cm long with five carpels; it gives off an intense, sweet smell and it ripens in late autumn.
Uses
The fruit is hard and astringent, though it does soften and becomes less astringent (bletted) after a period of frost. It can be used in the same way as quince is used for making jam. It is also grown as an ornamental tree in southern Europe.
It is frequently used in Japan for making low-end Shamisen. Other commonly used woods are rosewood and redsander wood.
References
1. ^ Potter, D. et al.; Eriksson, T.; Evans, R. C.; Oh, S.; Smedmark, J. E. E.; Morgan, D. R.; Kerr, M.; Robertson, K. R. et al. (2007). "Phylogeny and classification of Rosaceae". Plant Systematics and Evolution 266 (1–2): 5–43. doi:10.1007/s00606-007-0539-9. [Referring to the subfamily by the name "Spiraeoideae"]
2. ^ "USDA GRIN Taxonomy".
3. ^ Gu Cuizhi and Stephen A. Spongberg, 2003. Flora of China (entry under Chaenomeles sinensis)
4. ^ Campbell, C.S.; Evans, R.C.; Morgan, D.R.; Dickinson, T.A.; Arsenault, M.P. (2007). "Phylogeny of subtribe Pyrinae (formerly the Maloideae, Rosaceae): Limited resolution of a complex evolutionary history". Plant Systematics and Evolution 266 (1–2): 119–145.
5. ^ http://herb.daegu.go.kr/kor/exhibit/herb.info.form.asp?h_code=75 (Korean) [source - retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudocydonia on 6/27/2013]
In Genesis 1:11-13, "And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. (American Standard Version, ASV)[for more details, go to www.jw.org].
Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth."Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to www.jw.org!
Here is a Commentary on Bountiful Trees and Vegetables God (YHWH) has provided for mankind, specifically the Dioscorea opposita (nagaimo, Chinese yam, Korean yam) is a type of yam (Dioscorea) that may be eaten raw.
Dioscorea opposita is an exception to the rule that yams must be cooked before consumption (due to harmful substances in the raw state). In Japanese cuisine, it is eaten raw and grated, after only a relatively minimal preparation: the whole tubers are briefly soaked in a vinegar-water solution, to neutralize irritant oxalate crystals found in their skin. The raw vegetable is starchy and bland, mucilaginous when grated, and may be eaten plain as a side dish, or added to noodles.
Dioscorea opposita is used in the Japanese noodle dish tororo udon/soba and as a binding agent in the batter of okonomiyaki. The grated nagaimo is known as tororo (in Japanese). In tororo udon/soba, the tororo is mixed with other ingredients that typically include tsuyu broth (dashi), wasabi, and green onions.
In Vietnam, the yam is called c? mài or khoai mài. When this yam is processed to become a medicine, the yam is called hoài s?n or t? gi?i.
In the Ilokano language of the northern Philippines it is called tuge.
Non-food uses
The jelly-like substance made from grating the yam, tororojiru is often served in, or alongside, a number of other dishes. However, during the Edo period, tororojiru was also widely used as a personal lubricant for sexual activities,[1] and it was thus considered improper for it to be eaten by a woman. This aversion also derives from the loud slurping sound one makes when eating it, which was considered to be un-ladylike.[1]
Traditional uses
This section needs more medical references for verification or relies too heavily on primary sources. Please review the contents of the section and add the appropriate references if you can. Unsourced or poorly sourced material may be removed. (July 2012)
The tuber is also used (often in dried form) in traditional Chinese medicine and Chinese herbology.
Shanyao root, ??, Radix Dioscoreae oppositae, falls within the Chinese herbal medicine category of Tonify Qi materia medica.[2][3] Within this category it has specialized and important properties which make it one of the most important and commonly used materia medica in the Chinese medicine repertoire. As a tonifying herb which enters the kidney organ (Zang) and/or channel (Jing), its role is fundamental, in accordance with the dictum that "the kidney is the root of Yin and Yang of all the organs (Zang-fu). Shanyao is classified as being of neutral temperature, an important property which means that, while it significantly tonifies the Qi, it does not at the same time cause Heat; in this way it is able to tonify Qi without injuring the Yin, an important advantage in the treatment of patients with deficient Yin. In this role of tonifying Qi without injuring the Yin it appears in such classical formulas as Liu Wei Di Huang Wan, the Six Flavours Rehmannia Pill, and its many derivative and related formulas.[4]
Shan Yao is also used in situations where it is necessary to tonify Qi, but where the Yin is not deficient. In this usage it is usually used prepared by dry-frying (chao, ?), which alters its temperature property to slightly Warm. The slightly Warm property enables it to Warm the spleen, another organ/channel which it enters, enabling the spleen to Dry Dampness, but without injuring Blood, a dimension of the Yin. A typical formula where dry-fried Shan Yao is used to tonify Spleen Qi is Shen Ling Bai Zhu San, ?????, Ginseng Poria Atractylodes Powder.[5] It is also frequently found dry-fried in Chinese herbal dermatology[6] in formulas for treating Blood Dryness where it is necessary to warmly tonify Spleen Qi, to enable it to Transform residual Dampness, but without drying Blood or Yin.
Weight Loss
In combination with bitter melon, Chinese yam has been shown to contribute to weight loss. Over a period of 23 weeks, those eating the diet containing Chinese yam lost 7 kilos. [7]
References
1. ^ a b Dunn, C. and B. Torigoe (1969). The Actors Analects. New York: Columbia University Press. p51.
2. ^ Bensky, Clavey, Stöger and Gamble, Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, Seattle, 2004, p. 723 ff
3. ^ Xu and Wang, Chinese Materia Medica: Combinations and Applications, 2002, p. 526 ff
4. ^ Scheid, Bensky, Ellis & Barolet, Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas and Strategies, Seattle, 2009, p. 365 ff.
5. ^ Scheid, Bensky, Ellis & Barolet,Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas and Strategies, Seattle, 2009, p. 314 ff.
6. ^ Xu, Dermatology in Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2004
7. ^ "My Microbiome and Me", Mara Hvistendahl, Science, vol. 336, page 1248-1250, 8 June 2012. [source - retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dioscorea_opposita on 6/21/2013]
In Genesis 1:11-13, "And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. (American Standard Version, ASV)[for more details, go to www.jw.org].
Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth."Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to www.jw.org!
Here is a Commentary on Bountiful Trees and Vegetables God (YHWH) has provided for mankind, specifically the Cinnamon (disambiguation), Cinnamon (pron.: /?s?n?m?n/ SIN-?-m?n) is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that is used in both sweet and savoury foods. While Cinnamomum verum is sometimes considered to be "true cinnamon", most cinnamon in international commerce is derived from related species, which are also referred to as "cassia" to distinguish them from "true cinnamon".
Cinnamon has been known from remote antiquity. It was imported to Egypt as early as 2000 BC, but those who report that it had come from China confuse it with cassia.
The Hebrew Bible makes specific mention of the spice many times: first when Moses is commanded to use both sweet cinnamon (Hebrew: ?????????, qinn?môn) and cassia in the holy anointing oil in Proverbs where the lover's bed is perfumed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon; and in Song of Solomon, a song describing the beauty of his beloved, cinnamon scents her garments like the smell of Lebanon. Cinnamon was a component of the Ketoret that is used when referring to the consecrated incense described in the Hebrew Bible and Talmud. It was offered on the specialized incense altar in the time when the Tabernacle was located in the First and Second Jerusalem Temples. The ketoret was an important component of the Temple service in Jerusalem.
It was so highly prized among ancient nations that it was regarded as a gift fit for monarchs and even for a god: a fine inscription records the gift of cinnamon and cassia to the temple of Apollo at Miletus. Though its source was kept mysterious in the Mediterranean world for centuries by the middlemen who handled the spice trade, to protect their monopoly as suppliers, cinnamon is native to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malabar Coast of India and Burma. It is also alluded to by Herodotus and other classical writers. It was too expensive to be commonly used on funeral pyres in Rome, but the Emperor Nero is said to have burned a year's worth of the city's supply at the funeral for his wife Poppaea Sabina in AD 65.
Before the foundation of Cairo, Alexandria was the Mediterranean shipping port of cinnamon. Europeans who knew the Latin writers who were quoting Herodotus knew that cinnamon came up the Red Sea to the trading ports of Egypt, but whether from Ethiopia or not was less than clear. When the Sieur de Joinville accompanied his king to Egypt on crusade in 1248, he reported what he had been told—and believed—that cinnamon was fished up in nets at the source of the Nile out at the edge of the world. Through the Middle Ages, the source of cinnamon was a mystery to the Western world. Marco Polo avoided precision on this score. In Herodotus and other authors, Arabia was the source of cinnamon: giant Cinnamon birds collected the cinnamon sticks from an unknown land where the cinnamon trees grew and used them to construct their nests; the Arabs employed a trick to obtain the sticks. This story was current as late as 1310 in Byzantium, although in the first century, Pliny the Elder had written that the traders had made this up in order to charge more. The first mention of the spice growing in Sri Lanka was in Zakariya al-Qazwini's Athar al-bilad wa-akhbar al-‘ibad ("Monument of Places and History of God's Bondsmen") in about 1270. This was followed shortly thereafter by John of Montecorvino, in a letter of about 1292.
Indonesian rafts transported cinnamon (known in Indonesia as kayu manis- literally "sweet wood") on a "cinnamon route" directly from the Moluccas to East Africa, where local traders then carried it north to the Roman market.[16][17][18] See also Rhapta.
Arab traders brought the spice via overland trade routes to Alexandria in Egypt, where it was bought by Venetian traders from Italy who held a monopoly on the spice trade in Europe. The disruption of this trade by the rise of other Mediterranean powers, such as the Mamluk Sultans and the Ottoman Empire, was one of many factors that led Europeans to search more widely for other routes to Asia.
Portuguese traders finally landed in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) at the beginning of the sixteenth century and restructured the traditional production and management of cinnamon by the Sinhalese, who later held the monopoly for cinnamon in Ceylon. The Portuguese established a fort on the island in 1518 and protected their own monopoly for over a hundred years.
Dutch traders finally dislodged the Portuguese by allying with the inland Kingdom of Kandy. They established a trading post in 1638, took control of the factories by 1640, and expelled all remaining Portuguese by 1658. "The shores of the island are full of it", a Dutch captain reported, "and it is the best in all the Orient: when one is downwind of the island, one can still smell cinnamon eight leagues out to sea." (Braudel 1984, p. 215)
The Dutch East India Company continued to overhaul the methods of harvesting in the wild and eventually began to cultivate its own trees.
In 1767, Lord Brown of East India Company established Anjarakkandy Cinnamon Estate near Anjarakkandy in Cannanore (now Kannur) district of Kerala, and this estate became Asia's largest cinnamon estate.
The British took control of the island from the Dutch in 1796. However, the importance of the monopoly of Ceylon was already declining, as cultivation of the cinnamon tree spread to other areas, the more common cassia bark became more acceptable to consumers, and coffee, tea, sugar, and chocolate began to outstrip the popularity of traditional spices.
Cultivation
Global annual production of cinnamon and cassia comes to 27,500-35,000 tons. Cinnamom verum accounts for 7,500-10,000 tons of production with the remainder produced by other species In Sri Lanka, only Cinnamomum verum is cultivated. Sri Lanka still produces 80-90% of the world's supply of Cinnamomum verum, and this species is also cultivated on a commercial scale in Seychelles and Madagascar. Global production of the other species comes to 20,000-25,000 tons, of which Indonesia produces around two-thirds of the total, with significant production in China. India and Vietnam are also minor producers.
Cinnamon is harvested by growing the tree for two years then coppicing it. The next year, about a dozen shoots will form from the roots.
The branches harvested this way are processed by scraping off the outer bark, then beating the branch evenly with a hammer to loosen the inner bark. The inner bark is then prised out in long rolls. Only the thin (0.5 mm (0.020 in)) inner bark is used; the outer, woody portion is discarded, leaving metre-long cinnamon strips that curl into rolls ("quills") on drying. Once dry, the bark is cut into 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) lengths for sale.
The bark must be processed immediately after harvesting while still wet. Once processed, the bark will dry completely in four to six hours, provided that it is in a well-ventilated and relatively warm environment. A less than ideal drying environment encourages the proliferation of pests in the bark, which may then require treatment by fumigation. Bark treated this way is not considered to be of the same premium quality as untreated bark.
Sri Lanka cinnamon has a very thin, smooth bark with a light-yellowish brown colour and a highly fragrant aroma. In recent years in Sri Lanka, mechanical devices have been developed to ensure premium quality and worker safety and health, following considerable research by the Universities in that country led by the University of Ruhuna.
The Sri Lankan grading system divides the cinnamon quills into four groups:
* Alba, less than 6 mm (0.24 in) in diameter
* Continental, less than 16 mm (0.63 in) in diameter
* Mexican, less than 19 mm (0.75 in) in diameter
* Hamburg, less than 32 mm (1.3 in) in diameter
These groups are further divided into specific grades. For example, Mexican is divided into M00 000 special, M000000, and M0000, depending on quill diameter and number of quills per kg.
Any pieces of bark less than 106 mm (4.2 in) long are categorized as quillings. Featherings are the inner bark of twigs and twisted shoots. Chips are trimmings of quills, outer and inner bark that cannot be separated, or the bark of small twigs.
Species
A number of species are often sold as cinnamon:
* Cinnamomum verum ("True cinnamon", Sri Lanka cinnamon or Ceylon cinnamon)
* C. burmannii (Korintje, Padang Cassia, or Indonesian cinnamon)
* C. loureiroi (Saigon cinnamon, Vietnamese cassia. or Vietnamese cinnamon)
* C. cassia (Cassia or Chinese cinnamon) [source - retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinamon on 1/05/2013]
In Genesis 1:11-13, "And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. (American Standard Version, ASV)[for more details, go to http://www.jw.org].
Research on Cinnamon for Health
Recent studies have found that cinnamon may have a beneficial effect on blood sugar.
One of the first human studies was published in 2003 in a medical journal called Diabetes Care. Sixty people with type 2 diabetes took 1, 3, or 6 grams of cinnamon in pill form daily, an amount roughly equivalent to one quarter of a teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
After 40 days, all 3 amounts of cinnamon reduced fasting blood glucose by 18 to 29%, triglycerides by 23 to 30%, LDL cholesterol by 7 to 27%, and total cholesterol by 12 to 26%.
For more information about cinnamon and diabetes, read Is Cinnamon a Proven Diabetes Remedy?
Preliminary lab and animal studies have found that cinnamon may have antibacterial and antifungal properties. It's active against Candida albicans, the fungus that causes yeast infections and thrush, and Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria responsible for stomach ulcers.
Safety of Cinnamon
People taking diabetes medication or any medication that affects blood glucose or insulin levels shouldn't take therapeutic doses of cinnamon unless they're under a doctor's supervision. Taking them together may have an additive effect and cause blood glucose levels to dip too low.
Also, people who have been prescribed medication to manage their blood sugar should not reduce or discontinue their dose and take cinnamon instead, especially without speaking with a doctor. Improperly treated diabetes can lead to serious complications, such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and nerve damage.
Cassia cinnamon, the kind of cinnamon normally found in grocery stores and in supplement form, naturally contains a compound called coumarin. Coumarin is also found in other plants such as celery, chamomile, sweet clover, and parsley.
At high levels, coumarin can damage the liver. Coumarin can also have a "blood-thinning" effect, so cassia cinnamon supplements shouldn't be taken with prescription anti-clotting medication, such as Coumadin (warfarin), or by people with bleeding disorders.
Cinnamon can also be found in a concentrated oil form that comes from cinnamon bark. Some of these products are not intended for consumption, but instead are used for aromatherapy essential oils. Also, the oil is highly potent and an overdose can depress the central nervous system. People should not take the oil to treat a condition unless under the close supervision of a qualified health professional.
Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth."Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to http://www.jw.org!
Here is a Commentary on Bountiful Trees and Vegetables God (YHWH) has provided for mankind, specifically the Citrofortunella microcarpa, the Calamondin or Calamansi, is a fruit tree in the family Rutaceae native to the Philippine Islands and has been dubbed the calamondin, golden lime, panama orange, chinese orange, acid orange, calamonding, or calamandarin in English. It is believed to originate from China and has spread throughout Southeast Asia, India, Hawaii, the West Indies, Central and North America.[2] The plant is characterized by wing-like appendages on the leaf stalks and white or purplish flowers. Its fruit has either a spongy or leathery rind with a juicy pulp that is divided into sections.
The tree is the result of a hybrid between species in the genus Citrus and unknown in the wild. It is generally held that most species in cultivation are ancient apomictic hybrids and selected cultivars of these hybrids, including crosses with segregate 'citrus' genera such as Fortunella and Poncirus. Hybrids between Citrus genera and species have been cultivated for so long that the origins of most are obscure. The Calamondin is sometimes described as a hybrid 'native' to the Philippines.
The calamondin is a cross between Citrus reticulata (Mandarin orange group) and Fortunella japonica (Kumquat group). The calamondin is treated as an intergeneric hybrid in the nothogenus ×Citrofortunella as ×Citrofortunella microcarpa.
Citrofortunella microcarpa is a shrub or small tree growing to 3–6 metres (9.8–20 ft). The fruit of the calamondin resembles a small, round lime, usually 25-35mm in diameter, but sometimes up to 45mm. It has the orange color of a tangerine with a very thin green or orange colored peel.
The Calamondin bears a small citrus fruit that is used to flavor foods and drinks. Despite its outer appearance and its aroma, the taste of the fruit itself is quite sour, although the peel is sweet. Eating a whole fruit has a surprise with the combination of sweet and sour Calamondin marmalade can be made in the same way as orange marmalade. Like other citrus fruits, the calamondin is high in vitamin C.
The fruit can be frozen whole and used as ice cubes in beverages such as tea, soft drinks, water, and cocktails. The juice is extracted by crushing the whole fruit, and makes a flavorful drink similar to lemonade. A liqueur can be made from the whole fruits, in combination with vodka and sugar. In Asian cuisines, the juice is used to season fish, fowl, and pork. It is commonly used as a condiment in Filipino dishes like Pancit. Calamondin halves or quarters may be served with iced tea, seafood and meats, the acid juice is often employed like lime or lemon juice to make gelatin salads or desserts, custard pie or chiffon pie. In the Philippines, the extracted juice, with the addition of gum tragacanth as an emulsifier, is pasteurized and bottled commercially.
Cultivation
In North America, ×Citrofortunella microcarpa is grown primarily as an ornamental plant in gardens, and in pots and container gardens on terraces and patios. The plant is especially attractive when the calamondin fruits are present.
The plant is frost sensitive and therefore limited outdoors to frost-free climates (such as Florida, coastal California, south Texas, and Hawaii in the United States). Potted plants are brought into a greenhouse, conservatory, or indoors as a houseplant during the winter periods in regions with cooler climates.
However in its native homeland in Southeast Asia, the Calamondin is easy to cultivate. The plant grows well in cool and elevated areas and in sandy soils rich in organic matter. Waterlogged areas are not suitable for cultivation because calamansi plants cannot tolerate too much moisture. Calamansi can be propagated by seeds using its vegetative parts. To produce big, luscious fruits, applying fertilizer, such as ammonium sulfate or urea, around each tree one month after planting is essential. The trees will start to bear fruit one or two years after planting. Trees have an average life span of five years.
Medicine
Calamondin citrus has found several alleged alternative medicinal uses. When rubbed on insect bites, the juice will relieve the itching and reduce the irritation. It can also be used as a natural acne medicine or taken orally as cough medicine (often mixed with green tea), and is a natural anti-inflammatory. For problems with constipation the juice is warmed and diluted with water. It bleaches freckles and helps to clear up acne vulgaris and pruritus vulvae. In Malaysia, it is used as an antidote for poison, and a poultice of pandanus leaves mixed with salt and the juice of citrus microcarpa, can be used to treat abscesses. In Peninsular Malaysia, it is combined with pepper to help expel phlegm. Its root is used in the Philippines at childbirth. [source - retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calamondin on 1/02/2013]
In Genesis 1:11-13, "And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. (American Standard Version, ASV)[for more details, go to www.jw.org].
The calamondin plant can stay a dwarfed potted ornamental houseplant or grow into a 25-foot tall tree. Its shiny, evergreen, aromatic leaves are alternate singles about 3 inches long. The fragrant all-white flowers have five narrow, oblong petals. The calamondin fruit is round and averages 1.5 inches wide. The very thin peel is glossy dark green when unripe, turning bright yellow-orange as it ripens. The calamondin's pulp has about 10 segments that are very juicy and extremely tart.
Growth and Propagation
Calamondin trees are propagated through seeds, cuttings and budding. They are best grown outdoors, under full sun. They are sensitive to temperatures below 50 degrees F; therefore, potted plants grown in cool climates must be taken indoors during the winter. Calamondins thrive in clay-loam, limestone and sandy soil and start to bear fruit year-round in their second year.
Food Uses
Because of its sour and acid taste, calamondin is never eaten as a snack fruit. It is usually sliced into halves and squeezed to season fish and meat dishes or flavor ice tea, gelatins, pies and desserts. The fruit is also preserved in sugar to make pickles and marmalade, or added as special tart flavoring to chutneys, curries and sauces. The calamondin's acid properties make it an excellent tenderizer in pork and beef marinades. In the Philippines, the calamondin is a common cooking ingredient and a favorite dip for fried and grilled cuisine. [source - retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/about_5079023_calamondin.html on 1/02/2013]
How this tree and other plants absorb water from the ground. Plants have developed an effective system to absorb, translocate, store, and utilize water. Plants contain a vast network of conduits, which consists of xylem and phloem tissues. These conducting tissues start in the roots and continue up through the trunks of trees, into the branches and then into every leaf. Phloem tissue is made of living elongated cells that are connected to one another and responsible for translocating nutrients and sugars (carbohydrates), which are produced by leaves for energy and growth. The xylem is also composed of elongated cells but once the cells are formed, they die. The walls of the xylem cells still remain intact and serve as an excellent peipline to transport water from the roots to the leaves.
The main driving force of water uptake and transport into a plant is transpiration of water from leaves through specialized openings called stomata. Heat from the sun causes the water to evaporate, setting this ‘water chain’ in motion. The evaporation creates a negative water vapor pressure. Water is pulled into the leaf to replace the water that has transpired from the leaf. This pulling of water, or tension, occurs in the xylem of the leaf. Since the xylem is a continuous water column that extends from the leaf to the roots, this negative water pressure extends into the roots and results in water uptake from the soil. [adapted from: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=follow-up-how-do-trees-ca ]
Clearly this clever water transport system shows a superior intelligence of the Creator (YHWH).
Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth."Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to www.jw.org!
Here is a Commentary on Bountiful Trees and Vegetables God (YHWH) has provided for mankind, specifically the Climbing Blueberry Billardiera longiflora
A choice Tasmanian climber that sports thin twining stems that produce creamy-yellow purple-tipped waxy flowers in spring. In autumn, outstandingly lovely clusters of deepest violet grape-sized berries appear when this unusual color for autumn is appreciated. Hardy in zones 7-9, this variety grows 6-10 feet in full to part sun.
No shade of purple is lovelier than the fruit, it's a tasty treat, too. This evergreen climber twines up any available support. (source - retrieved from http://www.seedman.com/fruit.htm on 4/2/2013)
Origin:
New South Wales and Tasmania.
Plant Group:
Vines.
Hardiness:
Sunset zones: Not listed.
USDA zones: 8-9. Heat zones: 9-8.
Mature size:
Height: 6-10 feet (2-3 m).
Flowering period:
June.
Flowering attributes:
Pendent, narrow bell-shaped flowers open a pale chartreuse, turning a creamy white in its prime and then aging to lavender-purple.
Leaf attributes:
Evergreen, linear lance-shaped, dark green leaves.
Growth habit:
Climber.
Light:
Sun to partial shade.
Soil:
Humus rich, neutral to acidic, moist, well-drained soil.
Feeding:
Mulch well with composted manure or compost. Feed once a month with a complete organic fertilizer during the growing season.
Propagation Methods:
Sow fresh seed as soon as ripe in autumn. Old seed may take up to a year to germinate.
Softwood cuttings in early summer.
Pruning Methods:
Prune after fruiting and is only neccessary for rejuvenation or to keep confined to its space. (source - retrieved from http://rainyside.com/plant_gallery/vines/BillardieraLongiflora.html on 4/2/2013)
In Genesis 1:11-13, "And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. (American Standard Version, ASV)[for more details, go to www.jw.org].
Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth."Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to www.jw.org!
Here is a Commentary on Bountiful Trees and Vegetables God (YHWH) has provided for mankind, specifically the Cluster Fig Tree Ficus racemosa
An evergreen tropical fig that can be grown in large tubs.
Impressive large Ficus species which can easy be recognized by the myriad of fruits that are hanging from its branches almost the whole year round.
Popularly known as the Cluster Fig Tree or Goolar (Gular) Fig, this is native to Australasia, South-East Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. it is unusual in that its figs grow on or close to the tree trunk.In India the tree and its fruit are called gular in the north and atti in the south.The fruits are a favorite staple of the common Indian macaque. In Vietnam, it is called sung. (source - retrieved from http://www.seedman.com/fruit.htm on 4/3/2013)
Ficus racemosa (syn. Ficus glomerata Roxb.) is a species of plant in the Moraceae family. Popularly known as the Cluster Fig Tree or Goolar (Gular) Fig, this is native to Australia, Malesia, South-East Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. It is unusual in that its figs grow on or close to the tree trunk, termed cauliflory. In India the tree and its fruit are called gular in the north and atti in the south. The fruits are a favourite staple of the common Indian macaque. In Vietnam, it is called sung.
It serves as a food plant for the caterpillars of the butterfly the Two-brand Crow (Euploea sylvester) of northern Australia.[1]
In the Atharva Veda, this fig tree (Sanskrit: u?umbara or udumbara)[2] is given prominence as a means for acquiring prosperity and vanquishing foes.[3] For instance, regarding an amulet of the udumbara tree, a hymn (AV xix,31) extols:
The Lord of amulets art thou, most mighty: in thee wealth's
ruler hath engendered riches,
These gains are lodged in thee, and all great treasures. Amulet,
conquer thou: far from us banish malignity and indigence,
and hunger.
Vigour art thou, in me do thou plant vigour: riches art thou, so
do thou grant me riches.
Plenty art thou, so prosper me with plenty: House-holder, hear
a householder's petition.[4]
It has been described in the story of Raja Harischandra of the Ikshvaku dynasty, that the crown was a branch of this Udumbura tree, set in a circlet of gold. Additionally, the Throne (simhasana) was constructed out of this wood and the royal personage would ascend it on his knee, chanting to the gods to ascend it with him, which they did so, albeit unseen.
In Buddhism
Clusters of gular figs on a tree trunk in India
Main article: Udumbara (Buddhism)
Both the tree and the flower are referred to as the udumbara (Sanskrit, Pali; Devanagari: in Buddhism.[5] Udumbara can also refer to the blue lotus (Nila udumbara) flower. The udumbara flower appears in chapters 2 and 27 of the Lotus Sutra, an important Mahayana Buddhist text. The Japanese word udonge (???) was used by D?gen Zenji to refer to the flower of the udumbara tree in chapter 68 of the Sh?b?genz? ("Treasury of the Eye of the True Dharma"). D?gen places the context of the udonge flower in the Flower Sermon given by Gautama Buddha on Vulture Peak. Udonge is also used to refer to the eggs of the lacewing insect. The eggs are laid in a pattern similar to a flower, and its shape is used for divination in Asian fortune telling.[6]
Uses
In ancient times both Hindu and Buddhist ascetics on their way to Taxila, (Original name is Taksha Sila) travelling through vast areas of Indian forests used to consume the fruit during their travels. One challenge to vegetarians were the many fig wasps that one finds when opening a gular fig. One way to get rid of them was to break the figs into halves or quarters, discard most of the seeds and then place the figs into the midday sun for an hour. Gular fruit are almost never sold commercially because of this problem.
The Ovambo people call the fruit of the Cluster Fig eenghwiyu and use it to distill Ombike, their traditional liquor.[7]
Health Uses
The bark of Audumbar/Oudumbar tree is said to have healing power. In countries like India, the bark is rubbed on a stone with water to make a paste and the paste is applied over the skin which is having boils or mosquito bytes. Allow the paste to dry on the skin and reapply after a few hours. For people whose skin is especially sensitive to insect bites; this is a very simple home remedy.
In Genesis 1:11-13, "And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. (American Standard Version, ASV)[for more details, go to www.jw.org].
Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth."Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to www.jw.org!
Jesus has become the one given in pledge of a better covenant.—Hebrews 7:22.
In his letter to the Hebrews, Paul explained that the tabernacle was merely “a shadow of the heavenly things” and that Jesus became the Mediator of “a better covenant” than that mediated by Moses. (Heb. 8:1-5) In Paul’s day, such explanations of the Law were invaluable to Christians, and they still are. They help us to grasp more fully the value of the provisions that God has made for us. Writing to the Romans, Paul directed some of his comments to congregation members who were of Jewish stock and who had been instructed in the Mosaic Law. He acknowledged that such ones had the advantage of possessing a “framework of the knowledge and of the truth” concerning Jehovah and his righteous principles. A grasp of that ‘framework of truth’ and heartfelt respect for it enabled Jewish Christians to guide, teach, and illuminate those who were in ignorance of the Law.—Rom. 2:17-20.
Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to http://www.jw.org!
Here is a Commentary on Bountiful Trees and Vegetables God (YHWH) has provided for mankind, specifically the Theobroma cacao also cacao tree and cocoa tree, is a small (4–8 m (13–26 ft) tall) evergreen tree in the family Malvaceae,[1] native to the deep tropical region of America. Its seeds are used to make cocoa powder and chocolate.
Leaves are alternate, entire, unlobed, 10–40 cm (3.9–16 in) long and 5–20 cm (2.0–7.9 in) broad.
The flowers are produced in clusters directly on the trunk and older branches; this is known as cauliflory. The flowers are small, 1–2 cm (0.39–0.79 in) diameter, with pink calyx. While many of the world's flowers are pollinated by bees (Hymenoptera) or butterflies/moths (Lepidoptera), cacao flowers are pollinated by tiny flies, Forcipomyia midges in the order Diptera. The fruit, called a cacao pod, is ovoid, 15–30 cm (5.9–12 in) long and 8–10 cm (3.1–3.9 in) wide, ripening yellow to orange, and weighs about 500 g (1.1 lb) when ripe. The pod contains 20 to 60 seeds, usually called "beans", embedded in a white pulp. The seeds are the main ingredient of chocolate, while the pulp is used in some countries to prepare a refreshing juice. Each seed contains a significant amount of fat (40–50%) as cocoa butter. Their most noted active constituent is theobromine, a compound similar to caffeine.
Cacao (Theobroma cacao) belongs to the genus Theobroma classified under the subfamily Sterculioidea of the mallow family Malvaceae. Cacao is one of 22 species of Theobroma.
T. cacao is widely distributed from southeastern Mexico to the Amazon basin. There were originally two hypotheses about its domestication; one said that there were two foci for domestication, one in the Lacandon area of Mexico and another in lowland South America. More recent studies of patterns of DNA diversity, however, suggest that this is not the case. Motomayor et al. sampled 1241 trees and classified them into 10 distinct genetic clusters. This study also identified areas, for example around Iquitos in modern Peru, where representatives of several genetic clusters originated. This result suggests that this is where T. cacao was originally domesticated, probably for the pulp that surrounds the beans, which is eaten as a snack and fermented into a mildly alcoholic beverage. Using the DNA sequences obtained by Motomayor et al. and comparing them with data derived from climate models and the known conditions suitable for cacao, Thomas et al. have further refined the view of domestication, linking the area of greatest cacao genetic diversity to a bean-shaped area that encompasses the border between Brazil and Peru and the southern part of the Colombian-Brazilian border. Climate models indicate that at the peak of the last ice age 21,000 years ago, when habitat suitable for cacao was at its most reduced, this area was still suitable, and so provided a refugium for the species. Thomas et al. speculate that from there people took cacao to Mexico, where selection for the beans took place.
Cacao trees grow well as understory plants in humid forest ecosystems. This is equally true of abandoned cultivated trees, making it difficult to distinguish truly wild trees from those whose parents may originally have been cultivated.
Cacao production has increased from 1.5 million tons in 1983-1984 to 3.5 million tons in 2003-2004, almost entirely due to the expansion of the production area rather than to yield increases. Cacao is grown both by large agroindustrial plantations and small producers, the bulk of production coming from millions of farmers who have a few trees each.
A tree begins to bear when it is four or five years old. A mature tree may have 6,000 flowers in a year, yet only about 20 pods. About 300-600 seeds (10 pods) are required to produce 1 kg (2.2 lb) of cocoa paste.
Historically, chocolate makers have recognized three main cultivar groups of cacao beans used to make cocoa and chocolate. The most prized, rare, and expensive is the Criollo group, the cocoa bean used by the Maya. Only 10% of chocolate is made from Criollo, which is less bitter and more aromatic than any other bean. The cacao bean in 80% of chocolate is made using beans of the Forastero group. Forastero trees are significantly hardier than Criollo trees, resulting in cheaper cacao beans. Trinitario, a hybrid of Criollo and Forastero, is used in about 10% of chocolate. The new, genetically-based classification into 10 groups may well help breeders to create new varieties that are both pest- and disease-resistant and contain valued flavours.
Major cocoa bean processors include Hershey's, Nestlé and Mars, all of which purchase cocoa beans via various sources.
In June 2009, Mars Botanicals, a division of Mars, launched Cirku, a cocoa extract product that provides cocoa ?avanols made with a patented process that contains a high level of phytonutrients.
The pests and diseases to which cacao is subject, along with climate change, mean that new varieties will be needed to respond to these challenges. Breeders rely on the genetic diversity conserved in field genebanks to create new varieties, because cacao has recalcitrant seeds that cannot be stored in a conventional genebank. In an effort to improve the diversity available to breeders, and ensure the future of the field genebanks, experts have drawn up a A Global Strategy for the Conservation and Use of Cacao Genetic Resources, as the Foundation for a Sustainable Cocoa Economy. The strategy has been adopted by the cacao producers and their clients, and seeks to improve the characterization of cacao diversity, the sustainability and diversity of the cacao collections, the usefulness of the collections, and to ease access to better information about the conserved material. Some natural areas of cacao diversity are protected by various forms of conservation, for example national parks. However, a recent study of genetic diversity and predicted climates suggests that many of those protected areas will no longer be suitable for cacao by 2050. It also identifies an area around Iquitos in Peru that will remain suitable for cacao and that is home to considerable genetic diversity, and recommends that this area be considered for protection.
The genome of T. cacao is diploid, its size is 430 Mbp, and it comprises 10 chromosome pairs (2n=2x=20). In September 2010, a team of scientists announced a draft sequence of the cacao genome (Matina1-6 genotype). In a second, unrelated project, the International Cocoa Genome Sequencing Consortium-ICGS, co-ordinated by CIRAD, first published in December 2010 (online, paper publication in January 2011), the sequence of the cacao genome, of the Criollo cacao (of a landrace from Belize, B97-61/B2). In their publication, they reported a detailed analysis of the genomic and genetic data.
The sequence of the cacao genome identified 28,798 protein-coding genes, compared to the roughly 23,000 protein-coding genes of the human genome. About 20% of the cacao genome consists of transposable elements, a low proportion compared to other plant species. Many genes were identified as coding for flavonoids, aromatic terpenes, theobromine and many other metabolites involved in cocoa flavor and quality traits, among which a relatively high proportion code for polyphenols, which constitute up to 8% of cacao pods dry weight. The cacao genome appears close to the hypothetical hexaploid ancestor of all dicotyledonous plants, and it is proposed as an evolutionary mechanism by which the 21 chromosomes of the dicots' hypothetical hexaploid ancestor underwent major fusions leading to cacao's 10 chromosome pairs. [source - retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cacao_pod on 1/05/2013]
In Genesis 1:11-13, "And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. (American Standard Version, ASV)[for more details, go to www.jw.org].
Cocoa
Scientific Name(s): Theobroma cacao L. subsp. cacao . Family: Sterculiaceae
Common Name(s): Cacao , cocoa . Materials derived from the cacao seeds (beans) include cocoa solid (the nonfat component of cocoa beans that is finely ground into a powder), cocoa butter (the fat component extracted by grinding and pressing the beans), and chocolate (a combination of cocoa solids, cocoa butter, and sugar). 1
Uses of Cocoa
Cocoa solid, cocoa butter, and chocolate are all rich sources of antioxidants. Epidemiological studies show an inverse association between the consumption of cocoa and the risk of cardiovascular disease. The likely mechanisms are antioxidant activity; improvement in endothelial function, vascular function, and insulin sensitivity; as well as attenuation of platelet reactivity and reduction in blood pressure.
Cocoa Dosing
No specific dosing recommendations can be made. Further studies characterizing the polyphenol content of cocoa products and method of measurement are needed. 1 , 7 In one study, an inverse relationship was demonstrated between cocoa intake and blood pressure, as well as a 15-year cardiovascular and all-cause mortality; the median cocoa intake among users was 2.11 g/day. 3
Pregnancy/Lactation
Generally recognized as safe (GRAS) when used in moderate amounts or in amounts used in foods. Avoid dosages greater than those found in food because safety and efficacy are unproven. Caffeine content should be restricted during pregnancy. 8 , 9
Cocoa Interactions
None well documented.
Cocoa Adverse Reactions
Children consuming large amounts of chocolate and caffeinated beverages may exhibit tics or restlessness. Ingredients in chocolate may precipitate migraine headaches, and cocoa products may be allergenic.
Cocoa Uses and Pharmacology
Cocoa has been reported to be a source of natural antioxidants, 10 the free radical scavengers that preserve cell membranes, protect DNA, prevent the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol that leads to atherosclerosis, and prevent plaque formation in arterial walls. The antioxidant activity of cocoa has been attributed to the procyanidins and their monomeric precursors, epicatechin and catechin, which inhibit oxidation of LDL., Dark chocolate and cocoa inhibit LDL oxidation and increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol concentrations.
Although, the relatively high stearic acid content in cocoa products was once purported to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), it is no longer considered to play a role in the reduction of CHD risk.
Cardiovascular disease and its risk factors
Research suggests that the flavonoid constituents, in particular flavanols, in cocoa may be beneficial in cardiovascular disease. Consumption of foods rich in flavanols are also associated with improved cardiovascular outcomes, suggesting that this specific group of flavonoids may have potent cardioprotective qualities. One study concluded that epicatechin content was likely to be the main factor in cocoa's association with beneficial health effects. [source - retrieved from http://www.drugs.com/npp/cocoa.html on 1/05/2013]
Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth."Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to www.jw.org!
Here is a Commentary on Bountiful Trees and Vegetables God (YHWH) has provided for mankind, specifically the Chrysobalanus icaco, the cocoplum, Paradise Plum and icaco, is found near sea beaches and inland throughout the tropical Americas and the Caribbean, including Cuba, southern Florida, and the Bahamas. The inland subspecies is Chrysobalanus icaco pellocarpus.
Chrysobalanus icaco is a shrub 1–3 metres (3.3–9.8 ft), or bushy tree 2–6 metres (6.6–20 ft), rarely to 10 metres (33 ft). It has evergreen broad-oval to nearly round somewhat leathery leaves (3 to 10 cm long and 2.5 to 7 cm wide). Leaf colors range from green to light red. The bark is greyish or reddish brown, with white specks.
The flowers are small, white, in clusters, appearing in late spring. In late summer it bears fruit in clusters, that of the coastal form being round, up to 5 cm in diameter, pale-yellow with rose blush or dark-purple in color, while that of the inland form is oval, up to 2.5 cm long, and dark-purple.
The coastal form is highly tolerant of salt, so it is often planted to stabilize beach edges and prevent erosion.
Chrysobalanus icaco is also planted as an ornamental shrub. The tree is unable to survive a hard frost. The fruit is edible and is used for jam. The common name for this fruit in Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana is "fat pork". [source - retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coco_Plum on 1/02/2013]
This is a very rugged plant and can be used to make an almost maintenance free hedge, even near salt water.
In Genesis 1:11-13, "And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. (American Standard Version, ASV)[for more details, go to www.jw.org].
* Coco plum plants usually grow in a shrub formation, but they may also form small trees. The stems are gray or brown, and twigs appear green and change to deep red as they mature. Coco plum leaves are dark-green, shiny and slightly under 1 inch long. Tiny, light-green flowers are almost unnoticeable.
* Coco plum fruit ranges from white to purple and although it is edible, it is nearly tasteless when fully ripe. The shape of the fruit resembles plums, giving this shrub its common name. [source - retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/facts_7640078_information-coco-plum-plant.html on 1/05/2013]
Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth."Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to www.jw.org!
Here is a Commentary on Bountiful Trees and Vegetables God (YHWH) has provided for mankind, specifically the Common Grape Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera is also called Common Grape Vine and is a species of Vitis, native to the Mediterranean region, central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Spain north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran. It is a liana growing to 35 m tall. It holds on to supports with twining tendrils.
An interesting climber with green leaves covered with silvery down. This plant is ideal for color compositions with shrubs, other climbers or trees with dark leaves or flowers. The leaves are alternate, palmate and lobed, about 5–20 cm long and broad.
The flowers of the vine are of color yellow-green and are gathered in bunches. They are intensely fragrant, hermaphrodites (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by insects. Since it has both sexes, you need only one plant to be able to enjoy the fruits. The flowers will bloom from May to July.
The sweet edible fruit is a berry, known as a grape; in the wild species it is 6 mm diameter and ripens dark purple to blackish with a pale wax bloom; in cultivated plants it is usually much larger, up to 3 cm long, and can be green, red, or purple. Fruits ripen from September to October.
Hardiness zones: 6-10 (-20°C/-5°F, 1°C/35°F) in winter. Tolerating temperatures down to about -20°c. Best grown in fertile, moist but permeable soil that is rich in calcium, but it will also succeed moderate soil. This vine does best in calcium rich fertile loamy evenly moist soils for best production and flavorful fruit. It likes sunny, warm and well-aerated spots. When grown in shade, the leaves turn green. It can freeze during severe winters. The species typically occurs in humid forests and stream sides.
In Genesis 1:11-13, "And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. (American Standard Version, ASV)[for more details, go to www.jw.org].
Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth."Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to www.jw.org!
Here is a Commentary on Bountiful Trees and Vegetables God (YHWH) has provided for mankind, specifically the Cordia.
Cordia
Cordia boissieri in bloom
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Eudicots
(unranked):
Asterids
Order:
(unplaced)
Family:
Boraginaceae
Subfamily:
Cordioideae
Genus:
Cordia
L.
Type species
Cordia myxa
L.[1]
Species
See text
Synonyms
Cerdana Ruiz & Pav.
2]
Cordia is a genus of flowering plants in the borage family, Boraginaceae. It contains about 300 species of shrubs and trees, which are found worldwide mostly in warmer regions. Many of the species are commonly called manjack, while bocote may refer to several Central American species in Spanish. The generic name honours German botanist and pharmacist Valerius Cordus (1515-1544).[3] Like most other Boraginaceae, a majority have trichomes (hairs) on the leaves.
Ornamental
Many Cordias have fragrant, showy flowers and are popular in gardens, although they are not especially hardy.[4]
As food
A number of the tropical species have edible fruits, known by a wide variety of names including clammy cherries, glue berries, sebesten, or snotty gobbles. In India, the fruits of local species are used as a vegetable, raw, cooked, or pickled, and are known by many names, including lasora in Hindi. One such species is Fragrant Manjack (C. dichotoma), which is called gunda or tenti dela in Hindi and lasura in Nepali. The fruit of the Fragrant Manjack is called phoà-pò•-chí (???), ???, or ??(POJ: chhi?-chí) in Taiwan where they are eaten pickled.
Wood
The wood of several Cordia species is commercially harvested. Ecuador Laurel (C. alliodora), Ziricote (C. dodecandra), Spanish Elm (C. gerascanthus), and C. goeldiana are used to make furniture and doors in Central and South America.[4]
Ziricote[5] and Bocote[6] are sometimes used as a wood for making acoustic guitar backs and sides. Well-known guitarist Richard Thompson currently plays a Lowden F-35C RT Richard Thompson Signature Model with Ziricote back and sides.[7] Similarly, drums are made from C. abyssinica, C. millenii, and C. platythrysa due to the resonance of the wood.[8]
Ecology
Cordia species are used as food plants by the caterpillars of some Lepidoptera species, such as Endoclita malabaricus, Bucculatrix caribbea, and Bucculatrix cordiaella.[9] The Wild Olive Tortoise Beetle (Physonota alutacea) feeds on C. boissieri, C. dentata, C. inermis, and C. macrostachya.[10]
Wikispecies has information related to: Cordia
1. ^ "Cordia L.". TROPICOS. Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
2. ^ "Cordia L.". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2007-10-05. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
3. ^ Quattrocchi, Umberto (2000). CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names: A-C. CRC Press. pp. 612–613. ISBN 978-0-8493-2675-2.
4. ^ a b Bennett, Masha (2003). Pulmonarias and the Borage Family. Timber Press. pp. 196–198. ISBN 978-0-88192-589-0.
5. ^ http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdproducts.asp?CategoryName=+Backs+and+Sides&NameProdHeader=Ziricote Luthiers Mercantile page about Ziricote
6. ^ http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdproducts.asp?CategoryName=+Backs+and+Sides&NameProdHeader=Bocote Luthiers Mercantile page about Ziricote
7. ^ Presad, Anil (October 2009). "Richard Thompson" (PDF). Guitar Player: 50.
8. ^ Tudge, Colin (2007). The Tree. Random House. p. 237. ISBN 978-0-307-39539-9.
9. ^ Davis, Donald R.; Bernard Landry; Lazaro Roque-albelo (2002). "Two new Neotropical species of Bucculatrix leaf miners (Lepidoptera: Bucculatricidae) reared from Cordia (Boraginaceae)". Revue Suisse de Zoologie 109 (2): 277–294.
10. ^ Quinn, Mike. "Wild Olive Tortoise Beetle Physonota alutacea Boheman, 1854". Texas Beetle Information. Texas Entomology. Retrieved 2010-04-05.
11. ^ a b c d e f g h Grandtner, Miroslav M. (2005). Elsevier's Dictionary of Trees 1. Elsevier. pp. 252–260. ISBN 978-0-444-51784-5.
12. ^ "Cordia dichotoma Forst. f.". Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Plant Growth Facilities. University of Connecticut. 2009-10-06. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
13. ^ "Subordinate Taxa of Cordia L.". TROPICOS. Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
14. ^ a b "Species Records of Cordia". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2010-08-21.
15. ^ "Cordia". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 1 March 2010. (source - retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clammy_cherry on 3/29/2013)
In Genesis 1:11-13, "And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. (American Standard Version, ASV)[for more details, go to www.jw.org].
Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth."Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to www.jw.org!
Here is a Commentary on Bountiful Trees and Vegetables God (YHWH) has provided for mankind, specifically the Cornelian Cherry is a member of the Cornus (Dogwood) family which produces an edible fruit with acidic flavors similar to the cranberry and sour cherry. The fruit is a red drupe, which is mainly used in jams but can be eaten dried. The habit of the plant is a medium to large shrub or small tree. The Cornelian Cherry is also known as Cornus mas or European Cornel.
In Genesis 1:11-13, "And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. (American Standard Version, ASV)[for more details, go to www.jw.org].
The Cornelian Cherry Dogwood is native to central and southern Europe, and to Asia. It probably was introduced into this country before 1800. Several varieties have been developed since its introduction. This tree grows well in a variety of soils and is tolerant of soil conditions. In the Midwestern United States it reportedly is the longest-lived kind of dogwood tree. Some people grow this dogwood as a hedge, in which case it produces a dense, almost impenetrable thicket of branches. It also can be grown as a large shrub. The Cornelian Cherry Dogwood is relatively free from insect pests and diseases. Some birds feed on the fruit of this tree. [source - retrieved from http://www.oplin.org/tree/fact%20pages/dogwood_cornelian_cherry/dogwood_cornelian_cherry.html on 12/10/2012] . Unlike most other dogwood trees, the Cornelian Cherry, produces edible fruit with a rather pleasing taste and grow quite well in most areas other than the extreme south and/or north .in North America, i.e., U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zones 3 to 8.
Cornelian Cherry like a sunny location with good soil drainage. Water regularly and deeply for the first year, especially during dry periods. Fertilize with an all purpose fertilizer before the plant comes out of dormancy in the spring. Adding mulch annually reduces weeds and preserves moisture. Prune annually to remove old and dead wood and to encourage new growth. Fruit is usually borne on new growth. Most Cornelian Cherry varieties have clusters of small yellow flowers before the leaves open,
Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth."Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today!
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
