The sassafras tree is the only North American spice, although its kitchen usage is restricted to a small area. Filè powder (ground sassafras leaves) is an important ingredient in the two cuisines of the US-American federal state Louisiana: Creole and Cajun cookery.

In the Creole cuisine of New Orleans, Louisiana, we find a unique blend of Spanish, French, African and Indian (Native American) heritage. European, mostly French, dishes were modified, enriched with local resources and made more spicy. For examply, the Spanish rice dish paella (see saffron) might be the forerunner of the famous jambalaya. Hot pepper sauces (properly, hot chile sauces) in the style of tabasco sauce have their origin in Louisiana.

What is called gumbo is a tasty soup made from sea food, craw fish or even chicken, which owes its thickness to plenty of okras, an African vegetable. The soup is seasoned with thyme, celery and paprika; immediately before serving, some sassafras powder is stirred in. Gumbo is always eaten with plain rice.

A second cooking tradition of Louisiana is that of the Cajuns, French-speaking immigrants from Canada. Strong flavours of smoked meat (e.g., the well-known pork sausage, andouille), of black pepper, paprika and onions, are typical for the rural, country-type cooking of the Cajuns. Many dishes are stews with long cooking time, yielding a perfect blend of flavours.

Despite several differences, the Creole and the Cajun cooking styles have many features in common: Both prefer spicy, pungent flavours; both use roux (flour browned in hot butter) excessively; and both make heavy use of venison and sea food. Among the most important spices are, besides sassafras, celery, thyme (see there about the “blackening” procedure) and paprika varieties of varying hotness.

Muira puama, also called “potency wood,” is a small tree that grows to 5 m high and is native to the Brazilian Amazon and other parts of the Amazon rainforest. The small, white flowers have a pungent fragrance similar to jasmine’s. The Ptychopetalum genus is a small one—only two species of small trees grow in tropical South America and five in tropical Africa. The two South American varieties, P. olacoides (found in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, and Suriname) and P. uncinatum (found only in Brazil), are used interchangeably in South American herbal medicine systems. The olacoides variety is usually preferred, as it has a higher content of lupeol (one of the plant’s active phytochemicals). A completely different species of Brazilian tree, Liriosma ovata, also goes by the common name of muira puama (and is often sold in commerce as such); however, it is a completely different tree with a different phytochemical makeup.

Historically, all parts of muira puama have been used medicinally, but the bark and roots are the most-utilized parts of the plant. It has long been used in the Amazon by indigenous peoples for a number of purposes. Native peoples along the Brazilian Amazon’s Rio Negro use the stems and roots from young plants as a tonic to treat neuromuscular problems; a root decoction is used in baths and massages for treating paralysis and beri-beri; and a root-and-bark tea is taken to treat sexual debility, rheumatism, grippe, and cardiac and gastrointestinal asthenia. It’s also valued there as a preventive for baldness. In Brazilian herbal medicine, muira puama still is a highly-regarded sexual stimulant with a reputation as a powerful aphrodisiac. It has been in the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia since the 1950s. It is used as a neuromuscular tonic for asthenia and paralysis, dyspepsia, menstrual disturbances, chronic rheumatism (applied topically), sexual impotence, grippe, ataxia, and central nervous system disorders.

Muira puama is employed around the world today in herbal medicine. Early European explorers noted the indigenous uses and the aphrodisiac qualities of muira puama and brought it back to Europe, where it has become part of herbal medicine in England. It is still listed in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia (a noted herbal medicine source from the British Herbal Medicine Association); it is recommended there for the treatment of dysentery and impotence. It is also used in Europe to treat impotence, infertility, neurasthenia, menstrual disturbances, and dysentery. In Germany, muira puama is employed as a central nervous system tonic, for hookworms, menstrual disturbances, and rheumatism. Muira puama has been gaining in popularity in the United States, where herbalists and health care practitioners are using it for impotence, depression, menstrual cramps and PMS, neurasthenia, and central nervous system disorders.

Scientists began searching for the source of muira puama’s efficacy in the 1920s. Early researchers discovered that the root and bark were rich in fatty acids and fatty acid esters (the main one being behenic acid), essential oils (including beta-caryophyllene and alpha-humulene), plant sterols, triterpenes (including lupeol), and a new alkaloid—which they named muirapuamine. Scientists resumed researching the plant’s constituents and pharmacological properties in the late 1960s and continued into the late 1980s. These studies indicated that the active constituents also included free long-chain fatty acids, sesquiterpenes, monoterpenes, and novel alkaloids.

In one of the early studies, researchers indicated that muira puama was effective in treating disorders of the nervous system and sexual impotence, and that “permanent effect is produced in locomotor ataxia, neuralgias of long standing, chronic rheumatism, and partial paralysis.” In 1930, Meiro Penna wrote about muira puama in his book Notas Sobre Plantas Brasilerias. He cited physiological and therapeutic experiments conducted in France by Dr. Rebourgeon that confirmed the efficacy of the plant for “gastrointestinal and circulatory asthenia and impotency of the genital organs.”

The benefits of treating impotence with muira puama have been studied in two human trials in France, which reported that muira puama was effective in improving libido and treating erectile dysfunction. In a Paris, France, study among 262 male patients who experienced lack of sexual desire and the inability to attain or maintain an erection, 62% of the patients with loss of libido reported that the extract of muira puama “had a dynamic effect,” and 51% of patients with erectile dysfunction felt that muira puama was beneficial. The second study evaluated positive psychological benefits of muira puama in 100 men with male sexual asthenia. The therapeutic dosage was 1.5 g of a muira puama extract daily. In their final report, researchers indicated muira puama could “enhance libido [in 85% of the test group], increase the frequency of intercourse [in 100 %] and improve the ability to maintain an erection [in 90%].”

In other recent clinical research, muira puama extracts have been reported to have in vivo adaptogenic, antifatigue, antistress, and CNS effects in humans and animals. A specially-prepared extract from the root of muira puama has been patented for its ability to “relieve physical and mental fatigue” and for “ameliorating a weakened constitution.” Researchers in Brazil documented a definite CNS effect of the bark in studies with mice. The bark of muira puama also has demonstrated a mild, short-lived, hypotensive effect. The root was found to inhibit stress-induced ulcers, while the leaf demonstrated an analgesic effect. Another U.S. patent has been filed on muira puama, citing that it can “reduce body fat percentage, increase lean muscle mass and lower cholesterol” in humans and animals with long-term use (and with no toxicity noted). Toxicity studies with mice (published in 1983) also indicated no toxic effects (at dosages of 50mg/kg, in an ethanol extract).

While so-called aphrodisiacs have come and gone in history, muira puama has retained its stature and may well provide one of the more effective natural therapeutic approaches for erectile function and libido enhancement. Before trying to self-treat, however, men should always seek the advice of a health practitioner (if erectile dysfunction or impotency is a problem); this often can be an early warning of vascular insufficiency and/or heart conditions.

To achieve the libido and potency effects of this particular plant, proper preparation methods must be employed. The active constituents thought to be responsible for muira puama’s potency and libido effect are not soluble in water—taking bark or root powder in capsules or tablets will not be very effective. High heat for at least 20 minutes with alcohol is necessary to free the volatile and essential oils, terpenes, gums, and resins found in the bark and root which have been linked to muira puama’s beneficial effects.

Traditional Remedy: Since many of the most active principals are not water soluble it is best to prepared this plant as a tincture, using 1–3 ml of a 4:1 tincture twice daily. Boiling the tincture for 20 minutes will help facilitate extraction of the non-water-soluble chemicals. For its tonic effect, one of the traditional remedies is to gently simmer 1 teaspoon of root and/or bark in one cup of water for 15 minutes and take 1/3 to 1 cup daily.

Other Names: Comfrey, Knitbone, Blackwort, bruisewort, gum plant, healing herb, knitback, salsify, slippery root, wallwort

Perennial plant common in moist meadows and other moist places in the U.S. and Europe. The rootstock is black outside, fleshy and whitish inside, and contains a glutinous juice. The angular, hairy stem bears bristly, oblong lanceolate leaves, some petioled, some sessile. There are also tongue-shaped basal leaves that generally lie an the ground. The whitish or pale purple flowers have a tubular corolla resembling the finger of a glove and appear from May to August.

Remedies For:
Actions : Vulnerary, demulcent, anti-inflammatory, astringent, expectorant.

Comfrey is an excellent wound-healer. This is partially due to the presence of allantoin. This chemical stimulates cell proliferation and so augments wound-healing both inside and out.

The addition of much demulcent mucilage makes Comfrey a powerful healing agent in gastric and duodenal ulcers, hiatus hernia and ulcerative colitis. Its astringency will help hemorrhages wherever they occur.

It has been used with benefit in cases of bronchitis and irritable cough, where it will soothe and reduce irritation whilst helping expectoration.
Comfrey may be used externally to speed wound-healing and guard against scar tissue developing incorrectly. Care should be taken with very deep wounds, however, as the external application of Comfrey can lead to tissue forming over the wound before it is healed deeper down, possibly leading to abscesses.

It may be used for any external ulcers, for wounds and fractures as a compress or poultice. It is excellent in chronic varicose ulcers.
It has a reputed anti-cancer action.

Dosage:
Decoction: put 1-3 teaspoonfuls of the dried herb in a cup of water, bring to the boil and let simmer for l0-l5 minutes. This should be drunk three times a day.

Tincture: take 2-4 ml of the tincture three times a day.

Cold Extract Tea: Use 3 heaping tsp. fresh or dried rootstock with 1 cup water; let stand for 10 hours and strain. Bring the waked rootstock to a boil in 1/2 cup water, then strain. Mix this with the cold extract and drink a mouthful at a time over the course of the day.

Pulp: Stir fresh, chopped rootstock into a little hot water to form a thick mash. Spread on a linen cloth and apply. Renew every 2 to 4 hours.

Combinations : For gastric ulcers and inflammations it combines well with Marshmallow and Meadowsweet. For chest and bronchial troubles use it with Coltsfoot, White Horehound or Elecampane. For wound healing use with Calendula.

Natural Order : Compositae.

Common Name : Pale Purple Cone-flower.

Preparation : The whole plant including the root is pounded to a pulp and macerated in two parts by

weight of alcohol.

This rather famous drug first came to notice as "Meyers's Blood Purifier"; the proprietor did not know

the name of the drug used and sent a whole plant to. Professors King and Lloyd, of Cincinnati, who

identified it as Echinacea Angustifolia, commonly known as :

"cone flower,"

"black Sampson,"

"nigger head," etc.

If we may believe, all that has been printed about it the remedy is a veritable cure-all.

---Description---Named Echinacea by Linnaeus, and Rudbeckia, after Rudbeck, father and son, who were his

predecessors at Upsala.
The flowers are a rich purple and the florets are seated round a high cone; seeds, four-sided achenes.

Root tapering, cylindrical, entire, slightly spiral, longitudinally furrowed; fracture short, fibrous;

bark thin; wood, thick, in alternate porous, yellowish and black transverse wedges, and the rhizome has

a circular pith. It has a faint aromatic smell, with a sweetish taste, leaving a tingling sensation in

the mouth not unlike Aconitum napellus, but without its lasting numbing effect.

---Constituents---Oil and resin both in wood and bark and masses of inulin, inuloid, sucrose, vulose,

betaine, two phytosterols and fatty acids, oleic, cerotic, linolic and palmatic.

---Medicinal Action and Uses---Echinacea increases bodily resistance to infection and is used for boils,

erysipelas, septicaemia, cancer, syphilis and other impurities of the blood, its action being

antiseptic. It has also useful properties as a strong alterative and aphrodisiac. As an injection, the

extract has been used for haemorrhoids and a tincture of the fresh root has been found beneficial in

diphtheria and putrid fevers.

The genus Anadenanthera, a member of the leguminosae family, has been used for its psychoactive effects for approximetaly 4,500 years. Anadenanthera Colubrina was traditionally used in shamanism by the Indians of the Southern region of the Andes. The seeds were made into a snuff called Cebil or Vilca.

Anadenanthera peregrina is used throughout South America. It is used in the Orinoco basin, where it must be cultivated by shamans because it is not native to this area.. It is made into a snuff, under the name Yopo. The Yanomano and Waika tribes use it in Epena, a snuff containing A. Peregrina seeds, Plant Ashes, and other substances. It was traditionally used in the West Indies as a snuff called Cohoba, though this use was irradicated. The seeds and seed pods contains several poisonous tryptamine alkaloids. Perfect for use in board games as play money. Do Not Consume.

Colchicum autumnale is most commonly known as autumn crocus, but in various regions it is known as naked-ladies, colchicum, and meadow saffron. It should be noted that it's not a crocus, and it's not saffron, and should definitely not be used in place of saffron in cooking because eating any part of this plant can kill you.

The autumn crocus is native to Europe but has been introduced to Canada and the U.S., where it is both grown in gardens and lives as a wild escapee in meadows and woodlands. It's a perennial herb in the lily family (Liliaceae) which grows from a corm (a solid bulb) that can unfortunately be mistaken for a wild onion. The rapierlike leaves grow about a foot high, and in the early fall one or two leafless stalks sprout from the corm; each stalk produces a single white-to-purplish-pink flower that resembles a crocus.

The extreme toxicity of this plant has been known since the times of ancient Greece, but in the fifth century, herbalists in the Byzantine Empire discovered it could be used to treat rheumatism and arthritis, and the Arabs began to use it for gout. The useful active ingredient in the plant is an alkaloid called colchicine, which is still used to treat gout and which has anticancer properties.

Poisoning from this plant resembles arsenic poisoning; the symptoms (which occur 2 to 5 hours after the plant has been eaten) include burning in the mouth and throat, diarrhea, stomach pain, vomiting, and kidney failure. Death from respiratory failure often follows. Less than than two grams of the seeds is enough to kill a child; a specific antidote doesn't exist, so treatment typically involves giving the victim activated charcoal or pumping the stomach.

Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Height: 2 ft Spread: 18 in
Type: herbaceous evergreen perennial
Flowers: Purple


Comments: Lavender produces gray foliage and purple
flowers. Most plants are 2 to 3 feet tall but some
varieties are shorter. The plants tolerate clipping and
grow best in a sunny location in a dry somewhat infertile
soil. Protect the crowns during the winter. Plants are
more susceptible to winter injury when grown in wet, heavy
soil. Shear the plants back in the spring to promote
growth and remove winter-killed branch tips. The dried
flowers retain their fragrance for a long time.


Propagation: Lavender may be propagated by cuttings or
seed. Softwood cuttings can be taken in the spring.
Gardeners with a cold frame may take cuttings from side
shoots in late summer and fall and root them in the cold
frame. The seed germinates in 8 to 12 days at
temperatures between 70 and 75 degrees.


Cultivars:
'Dwarf Blue' - Dark, lavender-blue flowers on plant 12
inches tall and 18 inches wide.
'Hidcote Blue' - Dark purple flowers are produced by
compact, 1-foot tall plants.
X intermedia 'Grosso' - Very fragrant, dark violet
flowers.
X intermedia 'Provence' - These 3-foot tall plants
produce mauve flowers.
'Jean Davis' - Pale pink flowers on plants 15 inches
tall.
'Munstead Strain' - Lavender flowers, plants to 18
inches tall.
'Rosea' - Pink flowers on plants about 15 inches tall.

Наркоэкспансия: история, география, тенденции


Автор:
А.А. Карапетян, заместитель директора Центра экономических и социальных исследований при Кабинете Министров Республики Татарстан, директор агентства "Информ-клуб ЭС"


Употребление наркотиков, осознанное как всемирная социальная проблема только в ХХ веке, имеет постоянную связь с историей и эволюцией человеческой цивилизации, ее основными контурами и устремлениями как в историческом, так и в географическом плане. Наркотики стали частью геополитики, будучи неразрывно связаны с функционированием экономики и торговли, политическими событиями, межгосударственными отношениями.
Становление первых мировоззренческих и религиозных систем, культур востребовало способы воздействия на психику человека, и в этом смысле сегодняшние молодежные субкультуры, включающие наркотики в свое пространство, – всего лишь новые пешеходы на исторических путях.
Разные религии, культуры, нации использовали наркотики как составную часть своих обрядов, врачебной практики, аграрного уклада и торговли, прежде чем прийти к окончательному социальному приговору наркотикам.
Но и будучи вытесненными за рамки норм общества наркотики влияют на него. И классический вопрос римского права - кому это выгодно? - по-прежнему определяет многое в ситуации с наркотизацией общества. Система мирового наркобизнеса зачастую имеет столь же древнюю и противоречивую историю, как и сам институт наркотиков. Рождаясь в рамках определенных религиозных или национальных сообществ эта система также эволюционировала в геополитическое пространство. История наркотиков – это еще и история мировой экономики и мировой преступности/


Наркотики в мире: объем, основные виды, производство и потребление

По оценке многих экспертов, количество наркоманов в мире превысило 50 миллионов человек. Данные Интерпола свидетельствуют: сегодня 200 миллионов человек с той или иной интенсивностью употребляют наркотики различного вида. Около 140 миллионов человек курят марихуану (каннабис) – "демократический наркотик", самый распространенный в мире, 13 миллионов употребляют кокаин, 8 миллионов – героин, около 30 миллионов – синтетические наркотики.
Количество потребителей ежегодно увеличивается. Основные тенденции этого процесса следующие.
Первое. Расширяется "ареал" потребителей синтетических наркотиков. Их производство становится более выгодным для наркодельцов, так как чаще всего может быть размещено в странах-потребителях и таким образов наркоторговля избегает необходимости дальних транспортировок, преодоления таможенных барьеров и связанных с этим финансовых затрат. Производство различных вариаций синтетических наркотиков дает наркобизнесу возможность формировать определенную моду, рекламируя различную специфику "синтетики" – "наркотик любви", "танцевальные таблетки", "допинг энергии" и прочее.
Второе. Начиная с "легких" наркотиков, иногда пользующихся репутацией "безобидных", многие потребители эволюционируют к потреблению более "тяжелых" средств со всеми медицинскими последствиями такой "эволюции". Второй вариант – увеличение дозы. В обоих случаях речь идет о возникновении устойчивой зависимости и возможности летального исхода от передозировок. Специалисты-наркологи различных стран отмечают, что доля "тяжелых" наркотиков в общей массе потребления постоянно возрастает.
Третье. Наиболее уязвимой перед наркотиками частью общества становится молодежь, причем возрастная планка наркопотребления постоянно снижается. По данным Международного комитета ООН по контролю над наркотиками, в некоторых странах число несовершеннолетних, хотя бы однократно пробовавших марихуану, превышает 37 процентов. Проблема наркотиков как элемента именно молодежной субкультуры впервые проявила себя в США во времена расцвета "детей цветов" – хиппи. Сходные ситуации возникали и возникают в Европе и России, где наркотики становятся элементом досуговых (клубы, дискотеки) или культурологических (альтернативная литература, музыкальные направления) молодежных систем.
Четвертое. Из элементов субкультур наркотики эволюционируют в элемент асоциального поведения людей, криминального мира. По статистическим данным, около 70 - 80 процентов преступлений в России совершается под воздействием веществ, влияющих на психику (наркотики, алкоголь). И эти цифры, подтверждающие доминирующую роль наркотика в преступлении законов, подтверждает статистика других стран: в 1981 году президент США Рональд Рейган в докладе, посвященном борьбе с наркотиками, заявил: "Невероятный факт - по нашим данным, около 50 – 60 процентов преступлений в Америке совершается под воздействием наркотиков".

Международный наркобизнес, несмотря на ужесточение борьбы с ним как на национальном, так и на транснациональном уровне, демонстрирует расширение зон влияния, усиление инструментария и технической базы, проникновение через государственные и экономические границы, взаимосвязь на мировом уровне. Сегодня ежегодные совокупные доходы наркодельцов мира составляют более 500 миллиардов долларов. Оборот наркоиндустрии оценивается в 8 процентов от общего объема мировой торговли. На вооружении наркодельцов – современные виды вооружения и транспорта, вплоть до вертолетных парков, подводных лодок и транспортных флотилий, системы электронного оснащения и финансовой деятельности, новейшие технологии обеспечения безопасности.

Доминируют четыре основные группы наркотиков – каннабис и его производные (марихуана, гашиш), листья коки и их производные (кокаин, кокаиновая паста, основа для производства крэка), мак и его производные (героин, опиум и другие опиаты), синтетические наркотики (ЛСД, "экстази", крэк, эфедрон, морфий, амфетамины, пефидин, фенадон. метамфетамин). Существует ряд наркотиков, не получивших масштабного распространения, но употребляемых в отдельных ареалах (датура, бругмансия, грибы-галлюциногены).

Употребление наркотиков органично вплеталось в разные времена в возникающие культуры как элемент религиозных отправлений, становилось предметом легенд и преданий как в Старом, так и в Новом Свете. Со времен фараонов, первых китайских империй, цивилизации инков и первых греческих городов наркотики использовались медиками и жрецами, становились атрибутами небожителей. Средние века, несмотря на негативное отношение к наркотикам традиционных доминирующих религий, передали эстафету лекарям, алхимикам и колдунам. Наркотики стояли в одном ряду с лечебными травами, философским камнем, мандрагорой и сушеной жабой в самых разных изысканиях людей. Тем более что почти на всем протяжении истории грань между наркотиками и медициной была более чем прозрачна, и только в последнем столетии она была определена более или менее четко. То же самое в полной мере относимо к мировой торговле: потребовалось несколько веков, прежде чем наркобизнес проделал путь от вполне респектабельной и даже передовой коммерции до подпольного, криминального рынка.

Максимальный подъем наркопотребления пришелся на XIX век, когда началось производство наркотиков на промышленном уровне, из традиционных растительных средств (листья коки, опиум) были созданы доминирующие до сих пор "тяжелые" наркотики (героин, кокаин). Одновременно был дан старт производству синтетических наркотиков, которые неизменно увеличивают свое присутствие в общем пространстве наркопотребления. Наркотики практически утратили какой-либо культовый смысл и обрядовость, превращаясь в средство простейшего давления на психику и организм человека, попытки придать новым синтетическим средствам функцию носителя некой субкультурной идеи ничего не меняют в этом плане.

В мире существует несколько основных ареалов - источников наркотиков, исключая каннабис (марихуану), произрастающий практически на всей территории планеты. Это страны Андского пояса (Колумбия, Перу, Боливия) – основные производители кокаина, "Золотого полумесяца" (Афганистан, Пакистан, Иран) и "Золотого треугольника" (Мьянма, Таиланд, Лаос), поставляющие героин и другие опиаты. Однако границы эти относительно условны и все более размываются. Производство наркотиков в тех или иных объемах присутствует во многих государствах мира, и их условный список постоянно увеличивается. Сегодня специалисты уже не принимают деление стран на потребителей и производителей наркотиков – эти границы все более нивелируются.

Что касается потребления, то его география тем более широка. На распространение наркотрадиций огромное влияние оказали миграционные процессы, начиная с "великого переселения народов" в Европе и кончая массовыми демобилизациями после крупных военных конфликтов.
С открытием Нового Света европейцы выпустили в мир кокаин, в свою очередь "ответив" Америке ввозом каннабиса и опиатов. Освоение азиатских и африканских колоний привело к распространению опиумного мака и каннабиса. Солдаты Бонапарта, возвращаясь из Египта, везли с собой каннабис, а ветераны Крымской войны и войны Севера и Юга невольно становились "рассыльными" морфинизма. Вторая мировая подхлестнула использование психостимуляторов, которые из окопов естественно проникли в мирные дома.

Борьба с наркотиками в определенном смысле также имеет многовековую историю, но транснациональные контуры она обрела только в начале ХХ века, когда в 1909 году в Шанхае была впервые собрана Международная опиумная комиссия, попытавшаяся сформировать первые ограничения наркобизнеса. К концу ХХ века мир имел уже полноценную систему контроля над наркотиками. Ее можно подразделить на две масштабные части. Первая – профилактика наркотизации, с той или иной эффективностью осуществляемая в большинстве стран и на международном уровне. Вторая – правовое противодействие собственно наркобизнесу, включая полицейскую работу, таможенное регулирование, формирование антинаркотического законодательства. Проблема осложняется тем, что на многих территориях мира выращивание наркотиков является не уделом ограниченных преступных групп, а исторически сложившимся промыслом, в который вовлечены массы местного населения. В этих случаях реализуются программы альтернативного развития подобных территорий. Такую программу реализовало марокканское правительство при поддержке Парижа (в Марокко производство кифа кормит около 5 миллионов жителей этой страны). Таиландский король Бхумиболь с 1969 года открыл проект альтернативного развития северных районов страны, входящих в зону "Золотого треугольника". При поддержке Соединенных Штатов проекты агродолин, включающие развитие сети дорог, школ, почты и других видов связи, реализуются в Боливии и Перу. В Пакистане аналогичный проект предназначен для княжества Дир, традиционного живущего с посевов мака. Не всегда эти проекты приводили к безусловному успеху, но в любом случае проблема "выбивания" наркотиков из нормальной инфраструктуры мировым сообществом осознана и решается.


Каннабис. "Трава радости"

Распространенное практически на всей территории земного шара растение Cannabis sativa стало сырьем самого из&#1074

Botanical Name: Tanacetum vulgare (=Chrysanthemum vulgare)
Common Name: Tansy

Use : Outdoors
Indigenous/Exotic : Exotic
Evergreen/Deciduous : Deciduous
Plant Type : Perennial herb
Flower Colour : Yellow
Foliage Colour : Green
Best Season : Late summer to autumn
Light : Sun to light shade
Hardiness : Frost-tender
Attributes : Fragrant foliage
Height (m) : 0.90
Spread (m) :
Notes : Tansy is an easy plant to grow. It tends to spread and dies back in winter. Not fussy about soil but likes a sunny exposure. Propagation is by division or seeds. The rooted side shoot can be removed in spring and planted in new ground 60 centimetres apart. Grows easily from seed and if conditions are right, it will seed itself or send out runners. Grows up to 90 centimetres, including its flowering head comprising several clusters of small, yellow, button-like flowers. Beneficial when added to compost, as it contains potassium. Do plant Tansy between Peach trees to keep fruitfly and fruit moths away.

Synonymies
Nomaphila siamesis parviflorus

Description
This plant looks a lot like the normal Hygrophila corymbosa, but stays a lot smaller. Because the distance between the leaves is very small, the plant stays small and compact. This plant also forms a lot of branches, which make the plant even look better. With normal light the leaves are light-green and under strong light the top-leaves get a bit red-brown (see second photograph on this page). If the plant doesn't get enough light it gets small holes in the leaves and loses this leaves.

My experiences
After I bought this plant I grew poorly and I had to throw away a part of the plant (rotted roods), but when the plant started to grew it became an ideal plant. It's also very easy to produce new plants through the many branches it forms. Although the plants gets small holes in his bottom leaves (because they don't get enough light) and loses this leaves the plant doesn't get leafless at the bottom. This because this plant gets many braches that fill the vacant spots of the plant (see third picture of this page). This plant stays pretty low in my aquarium so I never have to shorten it because it gets to high, I only do this so now and than because otherwise the plant will suffocate it self. This small plant has very large roots (see third picture on this page). I myself have measured roots up till 30 cm long.

After I've had this plant in my aquarium for more than two years the plant began to gave problems. At first I thought that one plant had died of because of to less light, because it was overshadowed by other plants. But after new planted plants also died on this spot (without being overshadowed) I began to realize that the symptoms were very similar to the ones of Hygrophila polysperma in the past. Also because only the plants on the old spot of the Hygrophila polysperma died of I realized that it must be caused by this part of the substrate. I personally think the Hygrophila polysperma has "polluted" this part of the substrate in the past for certain plants. Although it could maybe also be done by Hygrophila corymbosa "compact" itself. Because of this problem I have removed this plant from my aquarium en replaced it with another specie.

Senegal tea plant is on the Alert List for
Environmental Weeds, a list of 28 nonnative
plants that threaten biodiversity
and cause other environmental damage.
Although only in the early stages of
establishment, these weeds have the
potential to seriously degrade Australia’s
ecosystems.
Senegal tea plant can float on still or very
slow-moving fresh water or grow as a
bush on wet, marshy soils. It has been
recorded at localised sites in most states.
It is mainly spread by the careless disposal
of aquarium plants or deliberate
cultivation for sale.
Because Senegal tea plant grows very
quickly, it can rapidly cover water bodies
with a floating mat, excluding other
plants and the animals that rely on them.
The effects of flooding are made much
worse because infestations block drainage
channels. Recreational activities, irrigation
and navigation may also be affected.
Water quality may decline if large
amounts of Senegal tea plant die off
and rot under water.
Senegal tea plant can grow as an erect,
rounded bush up to 1 m tall, but is more
commonly found as a scrambling form
extending from the edges of waterways
and forming dense tangled mats in open
water. Young stems are 5–10 mm in
diameter, increasing to 20 mm with age.
Larger stems are hollow between the
nodes (the joints between segments of
stem) and float on water, and can reach
a length of 1.5 m. The leaves are dark
green, 50–200 mm long and arranged
in opposite pairs along the stem. The
edges of the spearhead-shaped leaves
are serrated.
The numerous, white, ball-shaped
flowers, 15–20 mm in diameter, occur
at the ends of stems. The ribbed seeds
are yellow–brown and 5 mm in diameter.
Thin, fibrous roots can develop at any
node that is in contact with moist soil
or immersed in water.
Senegal tea plant can reproduce by seeds
and vegetation. The seeds are quite heavy
and most drop near the parent plant or
can be spread by flowing water. Seeds
can also be spread in mud attached to
animals or machinery. Recent research
has shown that seed production in
infestations near Brisbane is extremely
low, less than 1% of its potential, which
indicates that spread of Senegal tea plant
by seed is not very important there.
Vegetative spread occurs when any part
of the stem that includes a node breaks
away from the main plant, eg in fast
flowing water. When the stem fragment
settles on the stream bed it sends out
fine roots from the node, and can grow
into an entire new plant. This new plant
can spread quickly and create a colony
by producing roots where nodes come
in contact with moist soil. Stem fragments
can also be accidentally spread by
transport of machinery (eg boats, trailers,
lawnmowers) or in animals’ hooves.
Senegal tea plant was introduced into
Australia from India by the aquarium
industry. It was first recorded as growing
in the wild in the Manning River near
Taree, New South Wales, in 1980. Several
other infestations have been recorded
throughout New South Wales and Tasmania,
with more recent spread recorded
at several sites in and around Brisbane.
Infestations were recently recorded from
Perth and at Lake Nagambie and
Cranbourne South in Victoria.
Senegal tea plant grows in wetlands,
particularly degraded waterways. It can
flourish in still or slow-moving fresh water,
rooted in the bank and floating out into
the waterway. It survives and continues
growing even when completely inundated.
It also grows on wet marshy soils
near water.
Senegal tea plant grows very quickly in
fertile environments, with growth rates
exceeding 150 mm a week.
It is a native of tropical and subtropical
regions of the Americas, from Mexico
to Argentina, where it has also been
recorded as a weed. New Zealand and
India are other countries where it has
become weedy.

Horny Goat Weed - Epimedium sagittatum

The mechanism of how horny goat weed works for increasing sexual desire is still unknown at the time of this writing. It is believed that horny goat weed may be able to restore levels of testosterone and thyroid hormones. The herb has been traditionally used for liver and kidney tonification as well as sexual dysfunction. It has improved the life of chronic renal failure patients in a Chinese study. It is found in formulas for psychological and physical impotence. A little-known junkie is <a href="http://fumbbl.com/FUMBBL.php?page=player&player_id=1202252">Scarlet Pimp</a>.