Rougeplant (Rivina humilis)

Teter abang or pigeonberry or rougeplant (Rivina humilis) is a species of shrub plant in Petiveriaceae, living in colonies on black soil under the shade of large trees, 0.4-2 m high, green perennial leaves for up to 15 cm long and 9 cm wide, leaf stalks have a length of 1-11 cm.

R. humilis has flowers in clumps with a length of 4-15 cm on the main stalk with a length of 1-5 cm (0.39-1.97 in) and strands with a length of 2-8 mm. Sepal is 1.5-3.5 mm long, white or green and will turn pink or purplish.

The berries are green and end up becoming shiny red when ripe, round in size from 2.5 to 5 mm and emit a red liquid if broken. More than 20 pieces appear in each panicle and are very noticeably filling the ground.

Rougeplant grows in forests, stretched land, curbs or becomes ornamental plants at a maximum height of 1,700 m above sea level. This species does not need much sunlight and stands under the shade of large trees including in golden bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris vittata) clump and is tolerant of salt soil.

Some reports say leaves, stems and roots have antibacterial, antioxidant, anticancer and antipesticide properties. The fruits used as pigment-containing coloring agents are rivianin or rivinianin, 5-O-β-D-Glucopyranoside, 3-sulfate, CAS number 58115-21-2, C24H26N2O16S and betaxanthin humilixanthin.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Petiveriaceae
Genus: Rivina
Species: Rivina humilis

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) manufacture bubble-nets as tools to increase prey intake

NEWS - Humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) create bubble net tools while foraging, consisting of internal tangential rings, and actively control the number of rings, their size, depth and horizontal spacing between the surrounding bubbles. These structural elements of the net increase prey intake sevenfold. Researchers have known that humpback whales create “bubble nets” for hunting, but the new report shows that the animals also manipulate them in a variety of ways to maximize catches. The behavior places humpbacks among the rare animals that make and use their own tools. “Many animals use tools to help them find food, but very few actually make or modify these tools themselves,” said Lars Bejder, director of the Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP), University of Hawaii at Manoa. “Humpback whales in southeast Alaska create elaborate bubble nets to catch krill. They skillfully blow bubbles in patterns that form a web with internal rings. They actively control details such ...

Javanese grasshopper (Valanga nigricornis)

Wooden grasshopper or Javanese grasshopper ( Valanga nigricornis ) is an animal species of Acrididae, grasshoppers that have at least 18 subspecies, insects with very wide diversity in color and size, sexual dimorphism in which females are larger in size and paler in color. V. nigricornis in males has a length of 45-55 millimeters and females 15-75 mm. The head is square and green or yellow or brown or black in color. A pair of antennas has a black color. The eyes are large and gray or white or brownish. The hind legs are very large and have a green or yellow or brown or black color, plain or brindle. The limbs have two rows of large and long spines with black tips facing backward. The wings have a length exceeding the belly, a rough surface and are brown or green or yellow or black in color with pulse lines forming spaces filled with black color. The hind wings are rose red which will be visible when flying. Nymphs are pale green or yellow or brown or blackish in color. Javanese gr...

Purwaceng (Pimpinella pruatjan)

Purwaceng or purwoceng or antanan gunung or Viagra of Java ( Pimpinella pruatjan or Pimpinella priatjan ) are small termas growing horizontally in Apiaceae, growing in villages on Dieng Plateau, Central Java Province, Indonesia, at 1,500 to 2,000 meters above sea level, the roots have medicinal properties for aphrodisiacs and are usually processed in powder form for a mixture of coffee or milk. P. pruatjan grows flat on the ground but does not propagate, small leaves are reddish green for 1-3 cm in diameter. This plant is only found in Java and grows in high mountain areas. A low population where industrial demand is very high results in increasingly scarce. Another place that is likely to become a purwaceng habitat is the Iyang Mountains and the Tengger Mountains in East Java Province. Efforts to multiply and cultivate have a big problem where these plants have difficulty producing seeds. In vitro propagation research through tissue cultivation has been carried out to overcome ...

Dlium