Genetic Diversity of Chinese Vegetable Mustard

The phenotypes of 16 varieties in Chinese vegetable mustard.  The varieties were alphabetically arranged from a to p as follows:

a - B. juncea var. megarrhiza Tsen et Lee,

b - B. juncea var. carassicaulis Chen et Yang,

c - B. juncea var. gemmifera Lee et Li,

d - B. juncea var. tumida Tsen et Lee,

e - B. juncea var. rugosa Bailey

f - B. juncea var. foliosa Bailey

g - B. juncea var. leucanthus Chen et Yang

h - B. juncea var. multisecta Bailey

i - B. juncea var. longepetiolata Yang et Chen

j - B. juncea var. linearifolia Sun

k - B. juncea var. strumata Tsen et Lee

l - B. juncea var. latipa Li

m - B. juncea var. involuta Yang et Chen

n - B. juncea var. capitata Hort

o - B. juncea var. multiceps Tsen et Lee

p - B. juncea var. utilis Li

Source : Yao Qi-Lun, et. al., 2012, Genetic Diversity of Chinese Vegetable Mustard ( Brassica juncea Coss ) Landraces Based on SSR Data, Biochemical Systematics and Ecology volume 45, December 2012, pages 41-48.

Landscape : Curbing the Curbs 2

Road curbs, when wrongly placed, or poorly maintained, literally curb the rainwater from flowing away from the road, thus keeping the rainwater on the road surface.  When curbs defeated its purpose, road become streams of waterway.

Not only the scupper/discharge drains are not sufficient to direct the water to storm drain, they are clogged with sands and vegetation as well.   Over time, sand and earth form vehicles accumulate at the road edge. Yet, instead of sweeping the sand away, they were dumped on the road shoulders.

It does not need an civil engineer or a town planner to realize that the curb is not serving its purpose.

Obviously, there are other reasons.  I can imagine some :

1. incompetent architects designed the road.  They are either ill-equipped with the knowledge, or with ill-intention ;

2. deceitful contractors cut corners in doing their sloppy work ;

3. cheating maintenance contractors not doing their job ;

4. corrupt government officials closed one of their eyes ;
5. damaged of pipes by third-party contractor ;

6. and yes, we could blame the weather : it rains too much !

Or, we can just do away the curbs.   For new projects, level down the road shoulders so that rain water can flow freely to the storm drain.  That should settle the problem once and for all.

However, for the existing problematic curbs, either spend a perennial sum to maintain and repair the drains, or spend a lump sum to level down the shoulders.  Of course, the government can always find whoever created the mess, and make them pay.  



Just in case, for those who don't know how's the look of a road without curbs, check out the photo below.

Gnaphalium affine - 清明草

清明草（Gnaphalium affine D.Don）是菊科 (Asteraceae) 鼠麴草属的一种植物，又名鼠麴草、佛耳草、母子草 ，英文名Jersy cudweed。分布在朝鲜、中南半岛、菲律宾、印度尼西亚、印度、台灣、日本以及中国大陆的华南、西北、华东、华中、华北、西南等地。

清明草全株有白色绵毛，叶如菊叶而小，开絮状小黄花，二年生草木，高10～15公分。清明时节，萌生绵绵白毛细叶。

清明草地上部分入药。味甘，性平，止咳化痰，怯風寒，利濕，治久年咳嗽、气喘等症。

清明前后是采摘清明草的好季节，草尖采摘回来洗干净、弄碎，和糯米粉制成糕点，故清明果。