Shampoo ginger (Zingiber zerumbet)

Lempuyang or shampoo ginger (Zingiber zerumbet) is a plant species in Zingiberaceae, a spice with leafy stems, grows up to 1.2 m tall, grows wild in the shade, rhizomes are used as food flavoring and appetizers in various dishes, rhizome extract is used in treatment.

Z. zerumbet in the dry season undergoes a period of inactivity on the soil where the leafy stems wither and die, leaving pale brown rhizomes that crawl across the soil surface. The stems will grow back and produce flowers in the rainy season.

Leaves 10-12 fins with pointed tips, 15-20 cm long, grow in alternating arrangements on thin, erect stems to 1.2 m high. Flower heads grow between stems. Flowers are conical, have stick-shaped stalks, erect, separate from the stem and shorter.

The flower heads are green and turn red, 3-10 cm long with overlapping scales, covering the small yellowish white flowers poking out. Mature flowers gradually fill with an aromatic and slimy liquid.

The rhizomes, leaves, petioles and flowers have a fragrant aroma. Often used to enhance the taste of meat and fish when cooked. The rhizomes are sliced, dried, and ground into a powder. The gel on adult flower heads is used to soften and make hair shiny.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Zingiberaceae
Genus: Zingiber
Species: Zingiber zerumbet
Subspecies: Zingiber zerumbet ssp. cochinchinense, Zingiber zerumbet ssp. zerumbet

False ashoka (Monoon longifolium)

False ashoka ( Monoon longifolium ) is a plant species in the Annonaceae, a small tree, evergreen, up to more than 20 meters high, symmetrical pyramidal with pendulous branches, hardwood, easy to grow and very adaptive. M. longifolium has long narrow lanceolate leaves with wavy edges, 25 cm long, 6 cm wide, copper brown pigmentation but over time becomes bright green and finally dark green. Pale green flowers resemble delicate stars. The flowering period is usually 2-3 weeks. Fruits in 10-20 pieces, round, up to 2 cm wide, green but turn purple or black when ripe. Trees are used to filter air pollution. Leaves are used for decorative decoration during festivals. Trees are easily pruned into various shapes and maintained in the required size. Flexible, straight and light rods are used in making sailing ship masts. Wood for making pencils, boxes and matches. Seed oil has anti-oxidant, anti-lipooxygenase and antimicrobial activity. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: An...

Kemadih (Schultesianthus coriaceus)

Kemadih ( Schultesianthus coriaceus ) is a species of plant in the Solanaceae family. It grows as a climber and covers host trees. It is a perennial, multi-branched, hardwood plant with hard, brown bark and dark green young bark. S. coriaceus has thick leaves, 15 cm long and 8 cm wide. A central vein is linear, with a pointed tip and base. The upper surface is dark green and the lower surface is bright green. The petiole is 3 cm long. The flowers are fan-shaped with 5 inflorescences. The base is narrow, whitish-yellow or bright green, and 8 cm wide. Four inflorescences with brownish-white tips and one inflorescence with a green tip grow in the center. The fruit is green, 3.5 cm long, and the stalk is 2 cm long. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Solanales Family: Solanaceae Subfamily: Solanoideae Tribe: Solandreae Genus: Schultesianthus Species: Schultesianthus coriaceus

Thomas Sutikna lives with Homo floresiensis

BLOG - On October 28, 2004, a paper was published in Nature describing the dwarf hominin we know today as Homo floresiensis that has shocked the world. The report changed the geographical landscape of early humans that previously stated that the Pleistocene Asia was only represented by two species, Homo erectus and Homo sapiens . The report titled "A new small-bodied hominin from the Late Pleistocene of Flores, Indonesia" written by Peter Brown and Mike J. Morwood from the University of New England with Thomas Sutikna, Raden Pandji Soejono, Jatmiko, E. Wahyu Saptomo and Rokus Awe Due from the National Archaeology Research Institute (ARKENAS), Indonesia, presents more diversity in the genus Homo. “Immediately, my fever vanished. I couldn’t sleep well that night. I couldn’t wait for sunrise. In the early morning we went to the site, and when we arrived in the cave, I didn’t say a thing because both my mind and heart couldn’t handle this incredible moment. I just went down...

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