Melinjo (Gnetum gnemon)

Melinjo or belinjo or tangkil (Gnetum gnemon) is a species of gymnosperms in Gnetaceae, dioecious, tree-shaped, living wild but also widely planted in the yard as a shade or barrier where seeds, seed coat and young leaves are processed into food.

G. gnemon is a tree and has a straight trunk, this is different from other Gnetum which is usually a liana. Annual plants with open seeds, do not produce true flowers and fruit. Fake fruit is basically a seed wrapped in a layer of aryl fleshy. Single leaf oval and blunt tip.

Melinjo live for more than 100 years, 25 m tall and produce 80-100 kg of seeds per harvest. They adapt to a wide temperature range and are very easy to find in various areas except the coast. Grows in forests, plantations and home gardens. Plants are propagated by generative and vegetative methods.

Belinjo can be found in arid, tropical regions and does not require highly nutritious soils or special climates. Grow on clay, sandy and calcareous soil at an altitude of 0-1,200 m, but cannot withstand waterlogged, acidic and saline soils. Trees grow well on open land, lots of sun and tree spacing 6-8 m.

Wood can be used as a material for boards and simple household appliances. Young leaves, seed shoots and seed coat are used as vegetable ingredients for sayur asem or soups. The seeds are forged into raw materials for emping or chips and seed coat for shredded.

G. gnemon is an ancient plant that is evolutionarily close to Ginkgo biloba. Seeds produce antioxidant compounds by high protein concentrations (9-10 percent). The main protein is 30 kilos Dalton which is very effective for destroying free radicals. Antioxidant activity is equivalent to butylated hydroxytolune.

Melinjo is also a natural antimicrobial in which protein is used as a natural preservative of food and medicine for diseases caused by bacteria. Peptides isolated from seeds have active potential to inhibit certain types of positive and negative gram bacteria.

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Gnetophyta
Class: Gnetopsida
Order: Gnetales
Family: Gnetaceae
Genus: Gnetum
Species: Gnetum gnemon
Variety: Gnetum gnemon var. brunonianum, Gnetum gnemon var. gnemon, Gnetum gnemon var. gracile, Gnetum gnemon var. griffithii, Gnetum gnemon var. tenerum

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 ...

False nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica)

False nettle ( Boehmeria cylindrica ) is a species of plant in the Urticaceae family, a herb or small shrub, up to 160 cm tall, usually monoecious but rarely dioecious. The leaves are paired or alternate, and the inflorescence is a spikelet with a cluster of small bracts at the tip. B. cylindrica generally grows to a height of 50-100 cm. Spine-like hairs form in the leaf axils. The leaves are oval and up to 10 cm long and 4 cm wide. The flowers are green or greenish-white and emerge from the upper leaf axils. Male and female flowers usually grow on separate plants. Male flowers are more numerous among the spikes in clusters. Female flowers are less evenly distributed along the spikes. The small, oval seeds are covered with small, hook-like hairs. Ripe seeds are dark brown. The inflorescence resembles a spike and is up to 3 cm long. This species can be found in moist to mesic deciduous forest habitats, growing abundantly along streambanks, floodplains, and lowlands. B. cylindrica is ...

Alexandrian Laurel (Calophyllum inophyllum)

Alexandrian Laurel ( Calophyllum inophyllum ) is a species of plant in the Calophyllaceae family. It is a low-branching, slow-growing, spreading tree with a wide, irregular crown. It grows up to 30 meters tall, has a cylindrical trunk, and thick, black, and fissured bark. The leaves are thick, oval, with rounded tips, even margins, and a smooth surface. The upper side is dark green and glossy, the underside is bright green, with a central vein in bright green. The leaves are up to 27 cm long, 13 cm wide, and have a 1 cm petiole. Flowers bloom throughout the year, but typically from April to June and October to December. Flowers are 30 mm in diameter and occur in racemose or paniculate inflorescences of four to 15 flowers. The flowers have a sweet aroma and attract numerous pollinating insects. The fruit is round, green, up to 4 cm in diameter, with a large seed in the center. When ripe, the fruit wrinkles and turns yellow to brownish. The fruit is light, with thin, spongy flesh and a...

Dlium