Elateriospermum tapos - Kerampai

The seed of Elateriospermum tapos is known a  Perah in Malaya.  It is called Kerampai by the Sarawak Iban, or lepis by the Bidayuh.

Elateriospermum is a monotypic plant genus in the family Euphorbiaceae.  It is found from Southern Thailand, Malaya, Borneo, Java and Sumatra.  The seeds, usually 3 in a fruit capsule, would fell on forest ground as the capsule cracked when ripened.

The seeds are eaten cooked or roasted, but too much may cause dizziness.  Uncooked seeds contain cyanide, thus unconsumable. 

Poisonous Plants : Castor Plant

Castor plant, Ricinus communis, is a species of flowering plants in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. 

The name Ricinus is a Latin word for tick, for the resemblance of castor bean to certain ticks.  The specific name ‘communis’ comes from Latin word commun, which means “common”.

The  common name ‘castor oil’ comes from Latin word ‘castor’ for beaver, of which castor oil was used as replacement for castoreum, a perfume made from dried perineal glands of beavers.  Castor oil plant has another common name, palm of Christ, ‘Palma Christi’, that derived from its therapeutic oil.

Despite its name, castor bean is not a true bean.  Castor bean is the source of castor oil, as well as ricin, a lethal toxin.  Ricin is also present throughout the plant in lower concentration.

Originated from the Mediterranean Basin, castor plant is presently planted over the tropical regions.   Leading production of castor bean are : India, China and Brazil.  

Castor oil had been used since ancient time for its therapeutic value and as fuel for lamps.   It contain mostly ricinoleic acid, a prized monosaturated fatty acid.   Today, castor oil is used in food additives, flavoring, mold inhibitor, preservative, in addition to various modern drugs.  Castor oil derivatives are also used in manufacturing of soaps, lubricants, hydraulic fluids, brake fluids, paints, dyes, coatings, inks, cold resistant plastics, waxes, nylon, and perfumes.

  

Raw castor beans are however, famous for its lethal toxin ricin.  4 – 8 seeds alone can kill an adult human.  Despite this, suicides and murders involving ingestion of castor beans are unheard of in producing countries.   

If ricin is ingested, symptoms may begin within 2 – 4 hours, but may be delayed up to 36 hours.   Symptoms includes burning sensations in mouth and throat, abdominal pain, purging and bloody diarrhea.   

However, poisoning occurs only when ingested seeds are chewed.  Intact seeds may pass through digestive tract.

Commercially cold-pressed castor oil is not toxic to human in normal doses, either internally or externally.

Confusing UBI

Ubi in Malay language refers to specialized root modified for storage of food or water. .Tuber it is.

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There are not many varieties of edible tuberous roots that I know of. But in Malay term, the word ‘ubi’ is prefixed to almost all of it, i.e ubi kentang, ubi kayu, ubi keledek. This creates confusion lead many to conclude that they are from ‘ubi’ family. They are however, of very distinct family.

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Ubi kentang 马铃薯 is potatoes, the tuberous root of Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family ( nightshades family ). It is an herbaceous annual shrub.

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Ubi kentang is suggested to originated from Peru, South America. However 99% of today’s cultivated potatoes are descendants of a subspecies indigenous to Chile. The Chilean subspecies, Solanum tuberosum ssp. tuberosum, is believed to be cultivated as long as 10,000 years ago.

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The Spaniard brought it to Europe in 1536, soon spread to the rest of the world. The potatoes reached India in the late 16^th and early 17^th century, most likely aboard ships from Portugal. Then, it spread to the rest of Asia.

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Potatoes contains vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium and trace amounts of magnesium phosphorus, iron and zinc.

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World production of potatoes was 314 million tones. China was the main producer with 70 million tones.

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Ubi kayu 木薯 is cassava, root of Manihot esculenta, is a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae family ( spurge family ).

Ubi kayu is native to South America, presumably eastern Brazil.

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Ubi kayu is an ancient crop species. Domestication began some 5000-7000 years BC. By the time the Europeans reached the New World, the crop was already cultivated in all of neotropical America. It was only centuries ago. The Portuguese traders carried the crop from its native America to Africa and then Asia.

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The roots are very rich in starch, calcium, phosphorus and vitamin C. However they are poor in protein and other nutrients. In contrast, cassava leaves are a good source of protein

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World production of cassava was estimated to be 184 million tones in 2002. The major production is Africa, with Nigeria lead as world’s largest producer.

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Ubi keledek 番薯 is sweet potato, tuberous root of Ipomoea batatas, an herbaceous perennial vine belongs to the family Convolvulaceae family.

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Sweet potatoes are native to South America, domesticated some 5000 years ago. Radiocarbon dating suggested it has been in Cook Islands around 1000 AD, possibly brought by Polynesians who had travelled to South America and back, and spread across Polynesians to New Zealand. Captain Cook and Sir Joseph Banks found the Maoris of NZ’s North Island growing sweet potato ( locally known as Kumara ) when they landed in 1769.

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The Spaniard brought the sweet potatoes to the Philippines in the 16^th century. From there the Portuguese spread it to East Indies and India. Sweet potatoes found it way to China in 1593, when a famine in Fujian province leads the people to search for alternative food from the Philippines. It was not until the 18^th century that the sweet potatoes made its way into Japan, possibly through China.

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The roots are rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin B6, calcium and iron. The leaves and shoots are also edible

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World production of sweet potato is 127 million tones in 2004. China was the top producer.

Pinch That Poinsettia - My Final Year Project

Effect of Number and Timing of Pinching on Reproductive Growth of Potted Poinsettia

Thohirah Lee Abdullah & Ong Jyh Seng

Department of Crop Science

Faculty of Agriculture

Universiti Putra Malaysia

43400 UPM Serdang

Selangor

Poinsettia, Euphorbia pulcherrima is a very lovely plant due to its red and attractive bract colours. It is the most popular decorative plant for Christmas and New Year. Poinsettias have a good market potential as potted flowering plants. Poor plant quality may result from crowding, poor light, pest and disease problem, and poor scheduling. Scheduling poinsettia is complicated by the interaction of daylength, temperature and cultivar on lateral growth and floral development ( Larson & Langhans, 1963 ). The removal of shoot apexes to overcome apical dominance and to promote lateral shoot development is referred to as pinching ( Larson 1985 ). In areas with good light, much more latitude may be allowed in time and type of pinching. Suggested pinch dates for Christmas crops vary somewhat with the area from which the information comes ( Pertuit, 1973 ; Tayama et al, 1975 ; Tayama 1978 ). Pinched potted plants are more floriferous and shorter than single stem plants. Timing a pinch can also affect plant quality. Pinching too early can result in plants that are too tall, and pinching too late can reslut in plants too short. Therefore, pinching, as part of the poinsettia production cultural practices, is done to overcome the apical dominance in order to produce a better quality plant. 

Source : Pertanika J.Trop. Agric. Sci. 26(1):15-18(2003)

http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/3437/1/Effect_of_Number_and_Timing_of_Pinching_on_Reproductive_Growth.pdf

https://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=MY2021000361

https://www.academia.edu/67774449/Effect_of_number_and_timing_of_pinching_on_reproductive_growth_of_potted_poinsettia_Euphorbia_pulcherrima_Willd_