Aloe Vera is really quite an incredible plant. It is a succulent plant and part of the lily family (Liliaceae), the same family that garlic and onions belong to.Aloe Vera contains over 200 active components including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, polysaccharide, and fatty acids- no wonder it's used for such a wide range of remedies. The bulk of the Aloe Vera leaf is filled with a clear gel-like substance, which is approximately 99% water.
Neem is a fast-growing tree that can reach a height of 15–20 m, rarely to 35–40 m. It is evergreen, but in severe drought it may shed most or nearly all of its leaves. The branches are wide spread. • It blossoms in spring with the small white flowers. It has a straight trunk. Its bark is hard rough and scaly, fissured even in small trees. The color of the bark is brown grayish. The leaves are alternate and consist of several leaflets with serrated edges. Its flowers are small and white in color. The olive like edible fruit is oval, round and thin skinned.
3. Aloe Vera:-
Aloe Vera is a plant species of
the genus Aloe. It grows wild in tropical
climates around the world and is
cultivated for agricultural and medicinal
uses. Aloe is also used for decorative
purposes and grows successfully indoors
as a potted plant.
It is found in many consumer products
including beverages, skin lotion,
cosmetics, or ointments for minor burns
and sunburns. There is little scientific
evidence of the effectiveness or safety
of Aloe Vera extracts for either cosmetic
or medicinal purposes. Studies finding
positive evidence are frequently
contradicted by other studies.
4. Description:-
Aloe Vera is a stem less or very short-stemmed plant
growing to 60–100 cm (24–39 in) tall, spreading
by offsets. The leaves are thick and fleshy, green to grey-
green, with some varieties showing white flecks on their
upper and lower stem surfaces. The margin of the leaf
is serrated and has small white teeth. The flowers are
produced in summer on a spike up to 90 cm (35 in) tall,
each flower being pendulous, with a yellow
tubular corolla 2–3 cm (0.8–1.2 in) long. Like
other Aloe species, Aloe Vera forms arbuscular
mycorrhiza, a symbiosis that allows the plant better
access to mineral nutrients in soil.
5. Cultivation:-
The natural range of A. Vera is unclear, as the species has been widely
cultivated around the world. Naturalized strands of the species occur in the
southern half of the Arabian Peninsula, through North Africa (Morocco,
Mauritania, Egypt), as well as Sudan and neighboring countries, along with
the Canary, Cape Verde, and Madeira Islands. This distribution is somewhat
similar to that of Euphorbia balsamiferous, Pistacia atlantica, and a few
others, suggesting that a dry sclerophyll forest once covered large areas,
but has been dramatically reduced due to desertification in the Sahara,
leaving these few patches isolated. Several closely related (or sometimes
identical) species can be found on the two extreme sides of the
Sahara: dragon trees (Dracaena) and Aeonium being two of the most
representative examples.
7. Distribution:-
The natural range of A. Vera is unclear, as the
species has been widely cultivated around the
world. Naturalized strands of the species occur
in the southern half of the Arabian Peninsula,
through North Africa (Morocco, Mauritania,
Egypt), as well as Sudan and neighboring
countries, along with the Canary, Cape Verde,
and Madeira Islands. This distribution is
somewhat similar to that of Euphorbia
balsamifera, Pistacia atlantica, and a few others,
suggesting that a dry sclerophyll forest once
covered large areas, but has been dramatically
reduced due to desertification in the Sahara,
leaving these few patches isolated. Several
closely related (or sometimes identical) species
can be found on the two extreme sides of the
Sahara: dragon trees (Dracaena)
and Aeonium being two of the most
representative examples.
9. Uses
Two 2009 reviews of clinical studies determined that all were too small and faulty to
allow strong conclusions to be drawn, but concluded: "there is some preliminary
evidence to suggest that oral administration of aloe Vera might be effective in
reducing blood glucose in diabetic patients and in lowering blood lipid levels in
hyperlipidemia. The topical application of aloe vera does not seem to prevent
radiation-induced skin damage. The evidence regarding wound healing is
contradictory. More and better trial data are needed to define the clinical
effectiveness of this popular herbal remedy more precisely. One of the reviews found
that Aloe has not been proven to offer protection for humans from sunburn.
Traditional medicine
Aloe Vera is used in traditional medicine as a skin treatment. In Ayurvedic medicine it is
called kathalai, as are extracts from agave. Early records of Aloe Vera use appear in
the Ebers Papyrus from the 16th century BC, and in Dioscorides' De Materia
Medical and Pliny the Elder's Natural History – both written in the mid-first century AD. It
is also written of in the Juliana Anicia Codex of 512 AD. The plant is used widely in the
traditional herbal medicine of many countries.
12. Azadirachta indica / Neem
Azadirachta indica (commonly
known
as Neem, nimtree and Indian lilac)
is a tree in
the mahogany family Meliaceae. It
is one of two species in the
genus Azadirachta, and is native to
the Indian subcontinent ,
i.e. India, Nepal, Pakistan, Banglade
sh, and Sri Lanka. It typically is
grown in tropical and semi-tropical
regions. Neem trees now also
grow in islands located in the
southern part of Iran. Its fruits and
seeds are the source of neem oil.
13. Description
Neem is a fast-growing tree that can reach a height of 15–20 meters
(49–66 ft.), and rarely 35–40 meters (115–131 ft.). It is evergreen, but in
severe drought it may shed most or nearly all of its leaves. The
branches are wide and spreading. The fairly dense crown is roundish
and may reach a diameter of 15–20 metres (49–66 ft.) in old, free-
standing specimens. The neem tree is very similar in appearance to its
relative, the Chinaberry (Melia azedarach).
The (white and fragrant) flowers are arranged in more-or-less
drooping axillary panicles which are up to 25 centimeters (9.8 in) long.
The inflorescences, which branch up to the third degree, bear from 150
to 250 flowers. An individual flower is 5–6 millimeters (0.20–0.24 in)
long and 8–11 millimeters (0.31–0.43 in) wide. Protandrous, bisexual
flowers and male flowers exist on the same individual tree.
14.
15. Weed status:-
Neem is considered a weed in many areas, including some parts of the Middle
East, most of Sub-Saharan Africa including West Africa and Indian Ocean states,
and some parts of Australia. Ecologically, it survives well in similar environments
to its own, but its weed potential has not been fully assessed.
In April 2015, A. indica was declared a class B and C weed in the Northern
Territory, Australia, meaning its growth and spread must be controlled and plants
or propagates are not allowed to be brought into the NT. It is illegal to buy, sell,
or transport the plants or seeds. Its declaration as a weed came in response to its
invasion of waterways in the "Top End" of the territory.
After being introduced into Australia, possibly in the 1940s, A. indica was
originally planted in the Northern Territory to provide shade for cattle. Trial
plantations were established between the 1960s and 1980s
in Darwin, Queensland, and Western Australia, but the Australian neem industry
did not prove viable. The tree has now spread into the savanna, particularly
around waterways, and naturalized populations exist in several areas.
16.
17. Uses:-
Neem leaves are dried in India and placed in
cupboards to prevent insects eating the clothes,
and also in tins where rice is stored. Neem
leaves are dried and burnt in the tropical
regions to keep away mosquitoes. These
flowers are also used in many Indian
festivals like Ugadi. See below: Association with
Hindu festivals in India. As an ayurvedic herb,
neem is also used in baths.
18.
19. As a vegetable
The tender shoots and flowers of the neem tree are eaten as a vegetable in
India. A soup like dish called Veppampoo charu (Tamil) (translated as "neem
flower rasam") made of the flower of neem is prepared in Tamil Nadu. In Bengal,
young neem leaves are fried in oil with tiny pieces of eggplant (brinjal). The dish
is called nim begun and is the first item during a Bengali meal that acts as an
appetizer. It is eaten with rice.
of mainland Southeast Asia, particularly in Cambodia aka
sdov Laos Thailand(where it is known as sadao or sdao), Myanmar. Even lightly
cooked, the flavour is quite bitter and the food is not enjoyed by all inhabitants
of these nations, though it is believed to be good for one's health. Neem gum is
a rich source of protein. In Myanmar, young neem leaves and flower buds are
boiled with tamarind fruit to soften its bitterness and eaten as a vegetable.
Pickled neem leaves are also eaten with tomato and fish paste sauce in
Myanmar.