amla

Other Names: Emblic, Indian gooseberry, Amlaki, Amala

Description:
The bark of Amla is grey in colour and peals in irregular patches. Its feathery leaves, which smell like lemon, are of linear oblong shape and size 10 to 12 mm length and 3 to 6 mm width. Its flowers are monoecioius having greenish yellow colour. They grow in auxiliary clusters and start appearing in the beginning of spring season.Amla fruit, depressed globose with six vertical furrows, start developing by the middle of spring and the fruit ripen towards beginning of autumn. The colour of the fruit is pale yellow.

Uses:
Amla is mainly used for its health benefits however it is sometimes eaten to avoid thirst, the sour acidy flavour of the fruit stimulates the flow of saliva.Fresh amla is can also be used in tarts, added to other foods as seasoning during cooking. Both ripe and half-ripe fruits are candied whole and also made into jam and other preserves, sweetmeats, pickles and relishes. They are combined with other fruits in making chutney.

Health:
Fresh fruit is refrigerant, diuretic and laxative. Green fruit is exceedingly acid. Fruit is also carminative and stomachic. The herb is also aphrodisiac, hemostatic, nutritive tonic, rejuvenative. It increases red blood cell count. It is one of the highest natural source of Vitamin C (3,000 mg per fruit).

Climate:
Amla is subtropical rather than strictly tropical. In India, it flourishes from sea-level up to an altitude of 1,800 m. Mature trees can withstand frost and temperatures as high as 45º C.

Soil:
Amla is noted for being able to thrive in regions too dry and soil too poor for most other fruit crops. For maximum productivity, the tree requires deep soil ranging from sandy loam to clay, light or heavy, slightly acidic to slightly alkaline.

Propagation:
The tree is propagated by seeds taken from overripe fruits sun-dried to facilitate removal of the stone, or cut in half right through the stone. The extracted seeds are given the float test and 100% of those that sink will germinate.

Coriander

Other Names: Dhaniya, Cilantro, Kusbarah, Coriandro, Pak chi, Ketumbar

Description:
Coriander is a soft, hairless, foetid plant growing to 50 cm tall. The leaves are variable in shape, broadly lobed at the base of the plant, and slender and feathery higher on the flowering stems. The flowers are borne in small umbels, white or very pale pink, asymmetrical, with the petals pointing away from the centre of the umbel longer (5-6 mm) than those pointing to the middle of the umbel (only 1-3 mm long). The fruit is a globular dry schizocarp 3-5 mm diameter.

Uses:
All parts of the plant are edible, but the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are the most commonly used in cooking. The leaves have a very different taste from the seeds, similar to parsley but 'juicier' and with citrus-like overtones. Chopped coriander leaves are also used as a garnish on cooked dishes such as dal and many curries. As heat diminishes their flavour quickly, coriander leaves are often used raw or added to the dish right before serving. The fresh coriander herb is best stored in the refrigerator in airtight containers. The leaves do not keep well and should be eaten quickly, as they lose their aroma when dried or frozen. Dried coriander seeds are crushed and used in curry dishes as well as many middle eastern dishes. Coriander seeds are also used in brewing certain styles of beer, particularly some Belgian wheat beers. The coriander seeds are typically used in conjunction with orange peel to add a citrus character to these styles of beer. Coriander roots are used in a variety of oriental cuisine most commonly in Thai dishes.

Health:
Researchers have found that coriander can assist with clearing the body of lead, aluminium and mercury. Coriander has been used as a folk medicine for the relief of anxiety and insomnia in Iranian folk medicine. Experiments in mice support its use as an anxiolytic.Coriander essential oil has been demonstrated to exhibit antibacterial action against E. Coli.

Climate:
Warmth and light are key to success. In tropical climates it grows all year round however, in the UK will only grow well between spring and late summer.

Soil:
Coriander will grow in all types of soil but does best in rich deep soil with lots of compost. Ensure it has lots of drainage. If growing in a pot, ensure it is atleast 25 cm deep else the herb will have stunted growth.

Propagation:
Coriander is usually grown from seed. It requires lots of warmth for germination and grows best in a warm sunny area. It has a large taproot considering its size and best sown in its final growing place as it does not transplant well. The herb will grow relativily easily in the UK - sow seeds in a deep pot (atleast 25cm) throughtout the spring and summer or in the garden in a sunny spot from late spring, it will germinate in 7 to 15 days and be ready for use after about 5 weeks. The seeds should be relativily fresh (less than 12 months) and if whole, crush them a little first. It can grow to 50cm but is best used as a fresh herb before it is fully grown while leaves are still large (1 to 1.5 cm) and flowers have not formed. If you want the seeds then leave the plant to flower and set seed, which can take another 3 to 6 weeks.

karapincha

Other Names: Limda, Limdo, Limbda, Kari Patta, Karapincha, Kari Bevu, Kadhilimba

Description:
Curry leaf is a small tree, growing 4-6 m tall, with a trunk up to 40 cm diameter. The leaves are pinnate, with 11-21 leaflets, each leaflet 2-4 cm long and 1-2 cm broad. The flowers are small white, and fragrant. The small black, shiny berries are poisonous.

Uses:
Curry leaves are highly aromatic and are commonly used as seasoning in Indian and Sri Lankan cooking, much like bay leaves and especially in curries with fish or coconut milk. In their fresh form they have a short shelf life and may be stored in a freezer for up to a week; they are also available dried, although the aroma is inferior.

Health:
The traditional use of the curry leaf tree is in the treatment of diabetes. In addition curry leaves contain chlorophyll, beta carotene and folic acid, riboflavin, calcium and zinc and all these can act on the oral tissues and help in keeping up good oral health. Chewing 2 to 4 fresh curry leaves with 10 to 15mls water in the mouth, swishing for 5 to 7 minutes and rinsing the mouth out with water can be of help in keeping good oral hygiene and as the curry leaf is a green leafy vegetable it will be safe and cheap to use as mouthwash.

Climate:
Curry Leaf tree will grow in a pot in the UK. They need a sunny location. Water regularly and feed during the growing season. In winter, keep the pot in a warm, frost-free place (min 12°C.) In spring move the plants to a warm light place.

Soil:
Light well drained soil. Let it dry out between waterings.

Propagation:
From seed or semi-ripe stem cuttings.

kekatiya

Vernacular Name: Sinhala: Kekatiya
Description: It is a submerged plant having a round rhizome which can grow up to a 3 cm diameter. The leaves have varied dimensions between 15 and 16 cm, curly edges and they are colored in light green to ferruginous brown. This plant usually has a spherical shape. It only makes one white flower. The optimal temperature is 20-30� C. The light can be very strong but half-dark is not bad either, this fact influences the color of the leaves. The ground must be full of minerals and should be formed by sand, loam and boiled peat. When the plant stops growing, the rhizome must be replaced in a new aquarium with a temperature of 15� C. It only multiplies by seeds, which have an elliptic shape, 5-6 mm length and 2 mm diameter. The have 2 prolongations which in horizontal position get curved and stuck into the ground forming the roots. It`s better to plant the seeds in a smaller aquarium first, with a water level of maximum 30 cm.

sadikka

nees aboUt 8 pairS slender; petiole 6-12 mm. flowers dioecious. Male flowers 3-5 in racemes, 2.5-6 cm. floWers 6 mm. long ellipsoid nodding. with a scale like bracteole under the glabrate perianth anthers 9-12, connate in a cyUndIi stipilate colunm. Pistillate flowers yelloW, small axUlarY, often solitarY. Fruit ovoid, sub_globose or pyriforiii. 4-5 cm. long, valved. Seed one, almost comPletuiY sunounded bY a fleshy, ine1arlY slit or holed a1)1ode.
Propagation: By seeds and vegetative method.
Parts Used: Fruit.
Chemical Constituents: Major constituents of nutmeg oil are d-b-pjne, myriSticini. linalool, safrole, dl-a-Piflene, dipentene and linalYl acetate.
Uses: The kernel as well as the an are used whole or ground as culinarY spices in spice and in bal(erY and con ectioflY items. Nutmeg is used in flavouring desserts and in meat 5easoning. Mace is used in meat 5easofling, gausage fil�ings, sauces, pickleS soups and curries. Solvent extracted oleoreSm as such and in capsuiated form is used as substitute for the whole or ground spice. nutmeg oil is used to flavour lieU15, canned soUps. cooked cabbage, and other food products

nelli

Another important fruit-medicine is the 'nelli'. This is a small, green sour fruit with a very high quantity of vitamin C. There is hardly any disease for which the 'nelli' is not used either singly or in combination with other herbs.

The 'nelli' is given to strengthen the retina and improves weak and defective vision. If dried 'nelli' is soaked overnight and the juice extracted and drunk each morning, it makes a good laxative. Leaves boiled and applied on skin eruptions is said to be beneficial. The ground leaves are said to cure eczema. Two tablespoons of 'nelli' mixed with a tablespoon of bees honey, taken regularly each morning helps reduce bleeding piles, while raw 'nelli', sour as it may be, improves complexion. Half a cup of 'nelli' juice twice a week helps keep bowel movements in order.

These are medicinal properties of just a few of the many invaluable plants found in Sri Lanka. For every ailment there is probably a plant cure with none of the side-effects that strong synthetically processed drugs on the market have. In ancient Sri Lanka such remedies were commonly and effectively used although down the ages many of these medicinal remedies have become extinct.

kapuru kurundu

Evergreen treen about 1 5m. tall. Trunk bark thick and grooved. Leaves
alternate, coriaceous, long-petiolate, shining on the upper side, 3-nerved at the base.
Inflorescence in axillary panicle, shorter than the leaf; flowers small, greenish-yellow.
Berry globose, black when ripe.
Propagation: By seeds.
Part Used: Roots and wood.
Chemical Constituents: The stem wood and leaves contain an essential oil consisting of camphor, D-a-pinene, cineol, terpineol, caiyophyllin, safrole, limonene, phellandrene. carvacrol, camphorene and azulene.
Uses: The camphor from the trunk wood possesses cardiac, analeptic, antivacterial,
demulcent and anodyne properties. Injections of camphor oil and sodium camphosulfonate
are prescrived in case of cardiovascular collapse. The peroral administration of camphor is
effective for fever, colic, sore throat and impotence. It is applied externally as an antiseptic.
demulcent and anodyne for impetigo, boils, neuralgia and rheumatism, in the form of a
tincture, an aqueous solution or an ointment.