Keji beling (Strobilanthes crispa)

Keji beling (Strobilanthes crispa) is a species of plant in the Acanthaceae, shrub, 1-2 meters high, upright, woody and sturdy, stems are jointed, cylindrical in shape, coarse hairs, green in color, branches touch the ground and come out of the roots so they can be separated from the plant parent, single root and light brown in color.

S. crispa has leaves with stalks and sits opposite each other. The strands are lanceolate, elongated or almost oblong, 17 cm long, 7 cm wide, serrated edges, tapered tip and base and rough surfaces on both sides. The veins are pinnate and green.

The inflorescences are compound and gathered in dense spikelets. The crown is funnel-shaped, 5 parts, hairy and yellow or purple in color. Stamens 4 items, white and yellow. Spindle-shaped fruit with 2-4 seeds. The seeds are round, flat, small, and brown.

This species grows in forests, riverbanks, cliffs and roadsides at elevations of 50-1200 meters, rainfall of 2500-4000 mm/year, sandy to clay soil and a pH of 5.5-7. This plant reproduces easily in fertile soil, somewhat protected and open places.

This plant contains alkaloids, tannins, saponins, flavonoids, polyphenols (tocopherol, cinnamic acid, phosphatide), catechins, caffeine, silicic acid, kersic acid. This plant is used as an anti-diabetic, diuretic, anti-syphilis, antioxidant, antimicrobial and laxative, dysentery, diarrhea, kidney stones, fever, lowering cholesterol, hemorrhoids, poisonous snake bites, urine laxative, leukemia and preventing AIDS.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Lamiales
Family: Acanthaceae
Subfamily: Acanthoideae
Tribe: Ruellieae
Subtribe: Strobilanthinae
Genus: Strobilanthes
Species: Strobilanthes crispa

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 ...

Javanese grasshopper (Valanga nigricornis)

Wooden grasshopper or Javanese grasshopper ( Valanga nigricornis ) is an animal species of Acrididae, grasshoppers that have at least 18 subspecies, insects with very wide diversity in color and size, sexual dimorphism in which females are larger in size and paler in color. V. nigricornis in males has a length of 45-55 millimeters and females 15-75 mm. The head is square and green or yellow or brown or black in color. A pair of antennas has a black color. The eyes are large and gray or white or brownish. The hind legs are very large and have a green or yellow or brown or black color, plain or brindle. The limbs have two rows of large and long spines with black tips facing backward. The wings have a length exceeding the belly, a rough surface and are brown or green or yellow or black in color with pulse lines forming spaces filled with black color. The hind wings are rose red which will be visible when flying. Nymphs are pale green or yellow or brown or blackish in color. Javanese gr...

Purwaceng (Pimpinella pruatjan)

Purwaceng or purwoceng or antanan gunung or Viagra of Java ( Pimpinella pruatjan or Pimpinella priatjan ) are small termas growing horizontally in Apiaceae, growing in villages on Dieng Plateau, Central Java Province, Indonesia, at 1,500 to 2,000 meters above sea level, the roots have medicinal properties for aphrodisiacs and are usually processed in powder form for a mixture of coffee or milk. P. pruatjan grows flat on the ground but does not propagate, small leaves are reddish green for 1-3 cm in diameter. This plant is only found in Java and grows in high mountain areas. A low population where industrial demand is very high results in increasingly scarce. Another place that is likely to become a purwaceng habitat is the Iyang Mountains and the Tengger Mountains in East Java Province. Efforts to multiply and cultivate have a big problem where these plants have difficulty producing seeds. In vitro propagation research through tissue cultivation has been carried out to overcome ...

Dlium