by Gordon | Apr 9, 2011 | Medicinal Herbs
The Bedouin are wary of this plant but will smoke it with tobacco if they need to relieve the symptoms of asthma. Clever grazing animals eat it early in the season but avoid it later. For Sakaran is a toxic plant belonging to the Solanaceae, a family in which...
by Gordon | Apr 8, 2011 | Medicinal Herbs
Salvia has an ingenious device to harness bees to the purpose of cross pollination. As the bee alights on the landing pad of the lower petal and pokes inside the flower in search of nectar, its head buts against a plate on the lower end of the stamen which is...
by Gordon | Apr 7, 2011 | Medicinal Herbs
Like other members of the Borage family, Libbeid produces enormous quantities of nectar which encourages intense foraging by bees and effective cross pollination. Children are also attracted and like to pluck the flowers and suck out the nectar. To deter grazing by...
by Gordon | Apr 6, 2011 | Medicinal Herbs
Pyrethrum is a natural insecticide which attacks the nervous system of insects causing paralysis and death. While many insecticides have been promoted with initial enthusiasm only to be withdrawn later after wreaking havoc with the food chain,...
by Gordon | Mar 31, 2011 | Medicinal Herbs
Species of Achillea contain alkaloids for defending themselves against insects and herbivores. The fresh plants can therefore be hung in a room while still aromatic to repel insects. Herbivores, however, have developed foraging strategies to avoid the toxic...
