Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is a flowering plant cultivated as an important forage crop around the world. It resembles clover and has been used as livestock fodder since ancient times. Alfalfa is considered an insectary plant, harboring beneficial predatory insects that can help protect neighboring crops from pests when the crops are interplanted.

2. ALFALFA { MEDICAGO SATIVA }
• ALFALFA MEDICAGO SATIVA, ALSO CALLED LUCERNE, IS A PERENNIAL FLOWERING
PLANT IN THE PEA FAMILY FABACEAE CULTIVATED AS AN IMPORTANT FORAGE CROP
IN MANY COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD. THE SPANISH-ARABIC (ACCORDING
TO WIKTIONARY AND THE DRAE NAME ALFALFA IS WIDELY USED, PARTICULARLY
IN NORTH AMERICA AND AUSTRALIA. BUT IN THE UK, SOUTH AFRICA AND NEW
ZEALAND, THE MORE COMMONLY USED NAME IS LUCERNE. IT SUPERFICIALLY
RESEMBLES CLOVER, WITH CLUSTERS OF SMALL PURPLE FLOWERS FOLLOWED BY
FRUITS SPIRALLED IN 2 TO 3 TURNS CONTAINING 10-20 SEEDS. ALFALFA IS NATIVE
TO WARMER TEMPERATE CLIMATES. IT HAS BEEN CULTIVATED
AS LIVESTOCK FODDER SINCE AT LEAST THE ERA OF THE ANCIENT GREEKS
AND ROMANS.

4. BENEFICIAL INSECTS
• ALFALFA IS CONSIDERED AN INSECTARY, A PLACE WHERE INSECTS ARE
REARED, AND HAS BEEN PROPOSED AS HELPFUL TO OTHER CROPS, SUCH AS
COTTON, IF THE TWO ARE INTERPLANTED, BECAUSE THE ALFALFA HARBOURS
PREDATORY AND PARASITIC INSECTS THAT WOULD PROTECT THE OTHER
CROP. HARVESTING THE ALFALFA BY MOVING THE ENTIRE CROP AREA
DESTROYS THE INSECT POPULATION, BUT THIS CAN BE AVOIDED BY MOVING IN
STRIPS SO THAT PART OF THE GROWTH REMAINS.[3

5. ALOE VERA
• ALOE VERA IS A SUCCULENT PLANT SPECIES. THE SPECIES IS FREQUENTLY
CITED AS BEING USED IN HERBAL MEDICINE SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE FIRST
CENTURY AD. EXTRACTS FROM ALOE VERA ARE WIDELY USED IN THE
COSMETICS AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE INDUSTRIES, BEING MARKETED AS
VARIOUSLY HAVING REJUVENATING, HEALING, OR SOOTHING PROPERTIES.
THERE IS, HOWEVER, LITTLE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OR
SAFETY OF ALOE VERA EXTRACTS FOR EITHER COSMETIC OR MEDICINAL
PURPOSES, AND WHAT POSITIVE EVIDENCE IS AVAILABLE IS FREQUENTLY
CONTRADICTED BY OTHER STUDIES.

6. USES
• SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE FOR THE COSMETIC OR THERAPEUTIC EFFECTIVENESS OF ALOE VERA IS
LIMITED AND FREQUENTLY CONTRADICTORY. DESPITE THIS, THE COSMETIC AND ALTERNATIVE
MEDICINE INDUSTRIES REGULARLY MAKE CLAIMS REGARDING THE SOOTHING, MOISTURIZING, AND
HEALING PROPERTIES OF ALOE VERA COMMERCIALLY ADVERTISED MAINLY FOR SKIN CONDITIONS
SUCH AS SUNBURNS, COLD SORES AND FROSTBITE. ALOE VERA GEL IS ALSO USED COMMERCIALLY
AS AN INGREDIENT IN YOGURTS, BEVERAGES, AND SOME DESSERTS, ALTHOUGH AT CERTAIN
DOSES, ITS TOXIC PROPERTIES COULD BE SEVERE WHETHER INGESTED OR TOPICALLY APPLIED THE
SAME IS TRUE FOR ALOE LATEX, WHICH WAS TAKEN ORALLY FOR CONDITIONS RANGING
FROM GLAUCOMA TO MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS UNTIL THE FDA REQUIRED MANUFACTURERS TO
DISCONTINUE ITS USE OTHER USES FOR EXTRACTS OF ALOE VERA INCLUDE THE DILUTION
OF SEMEN FOR THE ARTIFICIAL FERTILIZATION OF SHEEP AS A FRESH FOOD PRESERVATIVE OR
FOR WATER CONSERVATION IN SMALL FARMS. IT HAS ALSO BEEN SUGGESTED THAT BIOFUELS
COULD BE OBTAINED FROM ALOE VERA SEEDS ALOE IS ALSO USED AS A FOOD SUBSTANCE,
POSSIBLY FOR ITS GELLING PROPERTIES.

8. ARNICA
• ARNICA IS A GENUS OF PERENNIAL HERBACEOUS PLANTS IN THE SUNFLOWER FAMILY . THE GENUS
NAME ARNICA MAY BE DERIVED FROM THE GREEK ARNI, "LAMB", IN REFERENCE TO THE SOFT, HAIRY LEAVES.
• THIS CIRCUMBOREAL AND MONTANE (SUBALPINE) GENUS OCCURS MOSTLY IN THE TEMPERATE REGIONS OF
WESTERN NORTH AMERICA, WHILE TWO SPECIES ARE NATIVE TO EURASIA (A. ANGUSTIFOLIA AND A. MONTANA).
• ARNICA USED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE TRIBE SENECIONEAE BECAUSE IT HAS A FLOWER OR PAPPUS OF FINE
BRISTLES. THIS WAS SOON QUESTIONED AND NORDENSTAM (1977) PLACED IT TENTATIVELY IN
TRIBE HELIANTHEAE S.L.[ THIS ARRANGEMENT ALSO BECAME UNCERTAIN BECAUSE OF THESESQUITERPENE
LACTONE CHEMISTRY IN CERTAIN SPECIES. RECENTLY ARNICA WAS PLACED IN AN UNRESOLVED CLADE TOGETHER
WITH MADIINAE,EUPATORIEAE HELIANTHEAE S.S. AND PECTIDINAE
• SEVERAL SPECIES, SUCH AS ARNICA MONTANA AND A. CHAMISSONIS, CONTAIN HELENALIN A SESQUITERPENE
LACTONE THAT IS A MAJOR INGREDIENT IN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY PREPARATIONS (USED MOSTLY FOR BRUISES).
• ARNICA SPECIES ARE USED AS FOOD PLANTS BY THE LARVAE OF SOME LEPIDOPTERA SPECIES
INCLUDING BUCCULATRIX ARNICELLA.
• ARNICA IS ALSO KNOWN BY THE NAMES MOUNTAIN TOBACCO AND, SOMEWHAT CONFUSINGLY, LEOPARD'S BANE
AND WOLFSBANE—TWO NAMES THAT IT SHARES WITH THE ENTIRELY UNRELATED GENUS ACONITUM.

9. MEDICINAL USES
• COMMERCIAL ARNICA PREPARATIONS ARE FREQUENTLY USED BY
PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES.ACCORDING TO THE MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING
CANCER CENTER, "A FEW CLINICAL TRIALS SUGGEST BENEFITS OF TOPICAL
ARNICA FOR OSTEOARTHRITIS; AND FOR AFFECTING SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION OF
BRUISING COMPARED TO PLACEBO OR LOW CONCENTRATION VITAMIN
K OINTMENTS. HOWEVER, A SMALL STUDY REPORTED THAT TOPICAL ARNICA
ACTUALLY INCREASED PAIN 24 HOURS AFTER CALF EXERCISES."
• A STUDY OF WOUND-HEALING AFTER SURGERY TO TREAT VARICOSE
VEINS FOUND NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT PROOF OF EFFICACY.

11. ASHWAGANDHA
• WITHANIA SOMNIFERA, KNOWN COMMONLY AS ASHWAGANDHA] INDIAN
GINSENG POISON GOOSEBERRY, OR WINTER CHERRY, IS A PLANT IN THE
NIGHTSHADE FAMILY. SEVERAL OTHER SPECIES IN THE GENUS WITHANIA ARE
MORPHOLOGICALLY SIMILAR IT IS USED AS AN HERB IN AYURVEDIC MEDICINE.

12. TRADITIONAL USES
• THE BERRIES CAN BE USED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR RENNET IN CHEESEMAKING.
• THE PLANT'S LONG, BROWN, TUBEROUS ROOTS ARE USED IN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE.
• IN AYURVEDA THE BERRIES AND LEAVES ARE APPLIED EXTERNALLY TO TUMORS,
TUBERCULAR GLANDS, CARBUNCLES, AND ULCERS. THE ROOTS ARE USED TO PREPARE THE
HERBAL REMEDYASHWAGANDHA, WHICH HAS BEEN TRADITIONALLY USED FOR VARIOUS
SYMPTOMS AND CONDITIONS. DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED STUDIES ON HUMANS
HAVE FOUND THE REMEDY TO BE EFFECTIVE AT A NUMBER OF HEALTH-RELATED USES,
INCLUDING ANXIETY TREATMENT, NEUROPROTECTION, LONG-TERM MEMORY, ANAEROBIC
RUNNING ENDURANCE, AND BODILY REGULATION OF CHOLESTEROL, CORTISOL,
AND CREACTIVE PROTEIN. BENEFITS WERE SEEN IN HEALTHY AS WELL AS NON-HEALTHY
PATIENTS.

14. PAPAYA
• THE PAPAYA IS A LARGE, TREE-LIKE PLANT, WITH A SINGLE STEM GROWING FROM 5 TO 10 M
(16 TO 33 FT) TALL, WITH SPIRALLY ARRANGED LEAVES CONFINED TO THE TOP OF THE TRUNK.
THE LOWER TRUNK IS CONSPICUOUSLY SCARRED WHERE LEAVES AND FRUIT WERE BORNE.
THE LEAVES ARE LARGE, 50–70 CM (20–28 IN) IN DIAMETER, DEEPLY PALMATELY LOBED, WITH
SEVEN LOBES. UNUSUALLY FOR SUCH LARGE PLANTS, THE TREES ARE DIOECIOUS. THE TREE
IS USUALLY UNBRANCHED, UNLESS LOPPED. THE FLOWERS ARE SIMILAR IN SHAPE TO THE
FLOWERS OF THE PLUMERIA, BUT ARE MUCH SMALLER AND WAX-LIKE. THEY APPEAR ON
THE AXILS OF THE LEAVES, MATURING INTO LARGE FRUIT - 15–45 CM (5.9–17.7 IN) LONG AND
10–30 CM (3.9–11.8 IN) IN DIAMETER. THE FRUIT IS RIPE WHEN IT FEELS SOFT (AS SOFT AS A
RIPE AVOCADO OR A BIT SOFTER) AND ITS SKIN HAS ATTAINED AN AMBER TO ORANGE HUE.

15. USES
• PAPAYAS CAN BE USED AS A FOOD, A COOKING AID AND IN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE. THE STEM AND BARK
MAY BE USED IN ROPE PRODUCTION.
Traditional medicine
In some parts of the world, papaya leaves are made into tea as a treatment for malaria. Antimalarial and
antiplasmodial activity has been noted in some preparations of the plant, but the mechanism is not understood
and no treatment method based on these results has been scientifically proven.
In the belief that it can raise platelet levels in blood, papaya may be used as a medicine for dengue fever. Papaya
is marketed in tablet form to remedy digestive problems
Papain is also applied topically for the treatment of cuts, rashes, stings and burns. Papain ointment is
commonly made from fermented papaya flesh, and is applied as a gel-like paste. Harrison Ford was treated for
a ruptured disc incurred during filming of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom by papain injections.