Holly mangrove (Acanthus ilicifolius)

Jeruju or holly mangrove (Acanthus ilicifolius) is a species of plant in the Acanthaceae, shrub, up to 2 meters high, taproot and yellowish white in color, cylindrical stem and not woody, slightly limp, smooth surface, brownish in color, strong and sharp spines on each leaf stalk.

A. ilicifolius has leaves with short stalks, sitting opposite and crossed, dark green in color, elongated in shape with a pointed tip and a large toothed margin with a pointed tip. Compound inflorescences in panicles 6-30 cm long. White, blue and brown crown. The fruit is ovate and 3 cm long. Kidney shaped seeds.

This species grows on beaches, river banks and muddy places with brackish water. Tolerant of flooding and high salt levels in soil with a pH of 6.8-7.2.

This plant contains alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, lignans, phenols, β-sitosterol, benzoxazinoid glucosides, arabinose, galacturonic acid, rhamnose and terpenoids. Used to treat acute and chronic hepatitis, enlarged liver and spleen, tuberculosis, skin diseases, mumps, shortness of breath, worms, gastric pain, colic, liver cancer, boils and ulcers.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Lamiales
Family: Acanthaceae
Subfamily: Acanthoideae
Tribe: Acantheae
Subtribe: Acanthinae
Genus: Acanthus
Species: Acanthus ilicifolius

Bush sorrel (Hibiscus surattensis)

Bush sorrel ( Hibiscus surattensis ) is a plant species in Malvaceae, annual shrub, crawling on the surface or climbing, up to 3 meters long, thorny stems, green leaves, yellow trumpet flowers, grows wild in forests and canal edges, widely used for vegetables and treatment. H. surattensis has stems with spines and hairs, branching and reddish green. Petiole emerges from the stem with a straight edge to the side, up to 11 cm long, sturdy, thorny, hairy and reddish green. The leaves have a length of 10 cm, width of 10 cm, 3-5 lobed, each has a bone in the middle with several pinnate veins, sharp tip, sharp and jagged edges, wavy, stiff, green surface. Flowers up to 10 cm long, trumpet-shaped, yellow with a purple or brown or red center, solitary, axillary. Epicalyx has forked bracts, linear inner branches, spathulate outer branches. Stalks up to 6-7 cm. The seeds have a length of 3-3.5 mm and a width of 2.5 mm. Bush sorrels grow in pastures, marshes, abandoned fields and plantations, ...

Perlis fairy lantern (Thismia perlisensis) resembling Thismia arachnites Ridley and Thismia javanica J.J.Sm.

NEWS - Perlis fairy lantern ( Thismia perlisensis Besi & Rusea sp. nov.) was discovered during a scientific expedition in a wetland forest at the foot of a limestone hill, Perlis State Park, resembling Thismia arachnites Ridley (1905) and Thismia javanica J.J.Sm. (1910), but has a prominent reddish dome-shaped annulus. Thismia perlisensis can be easily distinguished from T. arachnites and T. javanica by its blood-red dome-shaped annulus (vs. ring-like with a rim, orange annulus), prominent trilobed stigma with bifid and subulate lobes 1.8 mm long (vs. oblong, truncated stigma), and claviform apex of inner tepal appendage (vs. subulate apex of inner tepal appendage). Stenoendemic to northern Peninsular Malaysia, Perlis State and possibly Langkawi Island. Although there have been sightings of the plant on Langkawi Island, this location is based solely on photos posted on social media. There are currently no specimens or additional information to confirm. The new species grows in...

Six new species forming the Sumbana species group in genus Nemophora Hoffmannsegg 1798 from Indonesia

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