Perennial sowthistle (Sonchus arvensis)

Tempuyang or perennial sowthistle (Sonchus arvensis) is a species of plant in the Asteraceae, herbaceous, upright with a height of 65-150 cm, stems are green, cylindrical, soft, hollow, green gummy and hairy,

S. arvensis has a single elongated oval-shaped leaf, pointed tip, purplish green, smooth surface, wavy edges and irregular teeth, 6-48 cm long and 3-12 cm wide. The leaves are near the base of the stem and are toothed and form a rosette. The leaves located at the top sit alternately hugging the stem.

Compound flowers, bell-like petals and a crown shaped like a collection of white or yellow needles. The fruit is box-shaped, has 5 ribs and has black hairs which then turn into small and light seeds.

This species grows in open places exposed to full sunlight or slightly protected such as cliffs, edges of waterways and abandoned land. It grows well in areas with lots of rain at an elevation of 50-1650 meters.

This plant contains alpha-lactuserol, β-lactoserol, mannitol, inositol, silica, potassium, flavonoids, tarak-sasterol, volatiles (decanal, eicosane, phytol, dokozan), aliphatic hydrocarbon, benzoic acid. Widely used to treat gout, kidney stones, urinary stones, gallstones, coughs, asthma, bronchitis, swelling and sedatives.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Cichorioideae
Tribe: Cichorieae
Subtribe: Hyoseridinae
Genus: Sonchus
Species: Sonchus arvensis
Subspecies: Sonchus arvensis ssp. arvensis, Sonchus arvensis ssp. humilis, Sonchus arvensis ssp. maritimus, Smooth Field Sowthistle Sonchus arvensis ssp. uliginosus

Black potato (Coleus rotundifolius)

Black potato ( Coleus rotundifolius ) is a species of plant in Lamiaceae, herbaceous, fibrous roots and tubers, erect and slightly creeping stems, quadrangular, thick, and slightly odorous. Single leaves, thick, membranous, opposite and alternate. Leaves are oval, dark green and shiny on the upper side, bright green on the lower side. Up to 5 cm long, up to 4 cm wide, slightly hairy and pinnate leaf veins. Leaf stalks up to 4 cm long. Small, purple flowers. Star-shaped petals, lip-shaped crown, dark to light purple with a slightly curved tube shape. Flowering from February-August. Small tubers, brown and white flesh and tuber length 2-4 cm. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Lamiales Family: Lamiaceae Subfamily: Nepetoideae Tribe: Ocimeae Subtribe: Plectranthinae Genus: Coleus Species: Coleus rotundifolius

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 ...

Matchbox bean (Entada phaseoloides)

Matchbox Bean ( Entada phaseoloides ) is a species in the Fabaceae family, a large woody liana with stems up to 18 cm in diameter, dark brown, rough bark, laterally flattened, and spirally twisted. The leaves are bipinnate, up to 25 cm long, with 1-2 pairs of minor leaflets, each divided into 1-2 pairs of pinnules. The pinnules are somewhat leathery, asymmetrical or oblique, up to 10 cm long and 5 cm wide. The inflorescence is a spike-shaped, about 25-30 cm long, bearing numerous sessile flowers. The individual flowers are very small, about 1.2 mm in diameter. The five petals, green with reddish bases, are 3-4 mm long, and the stamens are about 7 mm long. The fruit is a very large, flattened, woody pod or capsule, about 1-1.2 m long and 12 cm wide. It is usually slightly curved and linear, with about 12 segments, each containing a single seed. The seeds are lens-shaped, shiny brown, smooth, 5-6 cm wide and 1-1.5 cm thick. Filipinos used gugo before commercial shampoos were available ...

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