-bijanto-
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Posts posted by -bijanto-
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It's frightening how our system works.
This is the logic of the system: possessing such books are forbidden, as they are potential for making drugs. The same logic goes to weapons which are potential for killing.
Following the same logic, discussion on these matters can also be considered illegal. What is the difference between books and knowledge? NOTHING. basicly they belong to the same island. Writing or saying anything on how to extract illegal substance from plants are illegal because they are the outcome of 'illegal knowledge'. Speaking on how to grow illegal plants is as much the same. To be smart, one would choose not to be so outspoken.
I don't blame anyone, that would be illegal wouldn't it, to blame on the law? I am only speaking of the reality.
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I've always wanted to know whether this plant can flower in warm tropical climate or not. How's the climate of Zimbabwe, is it more tropical, subtropical or temperate?
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I think gotu kola (pennywort) should work in long term. Here are two recipes from "The Encyclopedia of Asian Food by Charmaine Solomon, Periplus Editions" that I copy from "Plant Detective Website":
Plant Detective "Gotu Kola" Page
I've found the fresh gotu kola drink that I make from actual leaves taste good. Just need water, sugar, blend and (optionally) strain. The colour of very fresh drink is attractive bright green but will soon turn into unappealing dark green if you let it sit for say half an hour or so.
Asian (esp. Vietnamese) restaurants/groceries usually stock some canned gotu kola drink (rau ma). I havent tried the canned version but some ppl said the canned version is shit, it isn't going to taste as fresh/nutritious as if made from scratch.
Jono, I think Herbalistic is selling some patchouli plants:
http://www.herbalistics.com.au/shop/produc...products_id=163]Herbalistic's Patchouli Page[/url]
I do have Tea plant, unfortunatelly I'm in Indonesia and your customs wouldn't allow import.
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Both Centella asiatica and Bacopa monnieri in this case have similar properties and in trade they are found in the markets as brahmi.
I've used to combining 2-3 fresh gotu kola leaves with rice or fried chips, taste good. It really has improved my memory. I've read it somewhere but I don't remember anymore what chemicals are in the leaves.
Here's the picture of my gotu kola plant:
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I love this veggie
It is rich with vitamin A, B1, B2, and C. It also contains minerals like calcium, phosphorous, iron, copper and potassium. Surprisingly this vegetable can be made into many mouthwatering dishes, which are niether as bitter nor as uninviting as the raw vegetable. Bitter gourd is eaten in many forms in practically every country. My favourite is meat-filled gourd stewed in thick coconut milk soup (plus other spices). Cut the fruit into pieces of 2 inches and discard the seeds. Cook the gourd in boiling water briefly for 3-4 minutes, Drain. Now it should be less bitter and you can eat them alone with some sauce or cook further.
These are a variety of meat-filled gourd dishes that I use to make:
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Thank's Torsten, some more questions pls:
- How do I stick pollens to the brush, does it have to be dry or wet?
- Must all 85 stigmas be pollinated in order to be successful?
- Whats the point of keeping the pollens in the fridge?
- How do I stick pollens to the brush, does it have to be dry or wet?
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Rev - Yeah when I was there standing with my cotton swab, my nose being so close to the sexy looking, fragrant flower, I suddenly felt the 'urge'...
... It happened just like that, I didn't even realize that those pollens could be bad for health. Anyone know if ingesting pollens bad for human's health?
Later I think that using hand for pollination doesn't seem very gentle, I mean our tongue is the most flexible and sticky part of our five senses (sight, touch, taste, hearing, and smell). It can go through the most delicate parts of the flowers. So why don't we use tongue instead of hand?
Teo - I've seen those insects and birds around the tree before, still no seeds. Don't know why, maybe I need elephant just like in Thailand?
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As I could not take good enough zoom photo of the flower, I tried to draw a sketch of it. I know It's not the best picture but I hope at least it can represent the most basic part of a kratom flower.
As you see, the sketch depicts a part of a flower ball, with 3 flowers attached to it, each of which consists of male and female organs. If you dissect (pull out) a single flower consisting of stigma, petals and stamen, it will leave an empty hole on the flower ball. Actually, a flower ball may consist of 85 flowers.
A single flower consists of 5 yellow petals surroundng 1 yellow pistil. The stamens are very thin and are somewhat brownish, I guess there are 5 of them but they were too small, I'm not sure how many of them. They are located somewhere between the petals and and the pistil but you can see them popping out from between the petals.
Yesterday I did what I call a "tongue pollination", which is simpy licking the whole surface of the flowers with a little force of my tongue, I don't know if it will work but when I did that I could feel my tongue accumulated with pollens as I licked. A neighbour was staring at me when I did that
, he must think I was out of mind 
but I didn't really pay attention.Oh by the way, a kratom flower smells really good, very fragrant
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Thank's T, and Teo... I really appreciate that.
I've googling around but it seems the Web lacks specific information re. botanical reproduction of M. speciosa.
T, I'm glad you can take a look at Nauclea flowers, let us know if you see the problem.
I've heard that certain kind of flowers, such as Mucuna bennettii (red jade vine) can only be pollinated by a species of bird due to its complex shape. But M.speciosa should be pollinated by insect, right...like mentioned in Teo's post...that it's "entomophilous"...?
I'll shoot some closer photos of kratom flower and post them here.
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I might had jumped to the conclusion too early. The previous seed capsules/pods in the above pictures do not actually contain seeds. I thought they were seeds but they've never germinated. I also sent them to a fellow who knows how the seeds look like, and he said they were not the actual seeds.
I brought up this subject to danny at psychoactiveherbs, and he said that they have never gotten any seeds from their many kratom trees as well. The fact that I have only one flowering tree without seeds made me guess that kratom might be dioecious, but when he said that he had many trees (presumably with flowers) without any seeds, that add up my confusion. I asked him to elaborate but he seems busy right now.
Enlightenment, anyone? Perhaps one of you has some information about Fract, like whether they grow their own kratom plant, etc?
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Scientists find self-fertilizing orchidI think this is not an accurate title regarding this article. It should be termed "self-pollination" instead of "self-fertilization". In this case, the species is self fertile AND the stamens and the stigma of the pistil contact each other to accomplish pollination. So it doesn't require an outside pollinator such as bees, winds etc.
"Self-fertilization" or "self-pollenization" has different meaning, In this case, the species is self fertile BUT the stamens and the stigma doesn't actually have to contact each other to carry out pollination, which means outside pollinator may be involved and may be not.
Thank's for the article, Torsten. Anyone knows why I've never gotten any seeds from my kratom plant? It seems that pollination has never been successful, is it self fertile, or: can it pollenize itself? Can a tissue-culture-grown kratom plant produce seeds, and how?
Regards,
- BJ -
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Teo, that's interesting, I wonder what else can grow there.
Can you grow yerba mate (Ilex p.) there, have you tried? What is the minimum temperature of your area there, and the maximum? My area is 18 to 30 Celcius all year long.
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Well done, ph!......... You deserve "The Khatfather of the year"
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hi bijanto !are you growing maca and if so on what altitude ?
got any seeds or plants to share/trade?
another fantastic grain from the andes is quinoa!
I'm not growing maca at the moment, still waiting for the seeds. I'll try to plant them on my altitude, i.e. around 700 m. Some other plants tolerate elevations lower than their origin.
What about u, got some quinoa seeds?
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These are worth growing:
Jicama (Pachyrhizus erosus)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MV082
Jicama (pronounced HEE-ca-ma) is a tuber vegetable that is a member of the potato family. It is grown in Latin America, typically in Mexico and Central America, and is a popular dietary staple in these regions. Jicama is also known by other names that include the following: the Mexican potato, Mexican yam bean, ahipa, saa got, Chinese turnip, lo bok, and the Chinese potato. Extremely nutritious because it contains a high amount of vitamin C, is low in sodium, and has no calories or fat. Used to thicken soups and sauces in other countries.
The edible portion is the starchy root , which is eaten raw or cooked. The crisp white interior flesh tastes like a delicious cross between a waterchestnut and an apple. Jicama is often used as a substitute for waterchestnut in oriental cooking. As a vegetable, it is very important and popular in Mexico. It is sometimes served raw with a spread of olive oil, paprika, or other seasoning. The tough brown skin is easily peeled.
Maca,Peruvian Ginseng (Lepidium peruvianum)
Maca is a root that grows in the high mountains of Peru. Rich in nutritional content (potassium, and higher levels of calcium than in milk), maca is a natural hormonal balancer which provides great health benefits for both, men and women.
Due to its high nutritional value, maca is not only popular as a sexual libido enhancer and menopause symptoms savior, but also greatly affects energy, stamina, depression, memory, and more.
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Does anyone know what species of gourd maté vessels are usually made from?Can someone please recommend gourds useful for crafts?
Lagenaria siceraria.
Also useful for crafts are calabash gourds: Crescentia alata and C. cujete
Look at the sheath crafts these gentlemen are wearing:
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BAN LAN GEN CHONG JI - That's what's written on the package. "Chong Ji" is an instant-extract-granulate or solvable block.
BAN LAN GEN (Isatis tinctoria root) is used in China to treat fever, liver inflammation and more. They recommend drinking it at the first sign of flu or cold, also to reduce swollen glands and sore throat. The leaf is called "DA QING YE".
http://alternativehealing.org/ban_lan_gen.htm
This plant used to be the main source of blue dye throughout Europe. It contains the substances, indican and isatin b, both of which can be converted to indigo for dying cloth and for making a blue paint. Recent research in Germany has shown that (the dyestuff?) in this plant is a very good preservative for wood.
In the US, this plant is considered weed. I don't know about Australia but it may soon follow....:-) [trying to make a bloody joke here].
Here's part of some articles from the Web:
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"A three-year, £700 000 research project will investigate ways of making the humble woad plant—Isatis tinctoria—yield enough dye for use in industrial and desktop printers. The inks used in these printers are usually nonrenewable petroleum byproducts.
Woad, on the other hand, has been used as a dye for over 5000 years, but its use declined as cheaper alternatives were discovered, according to Kerry Stoker, one of the project workers at the Institute of Arable Crops Research near Bristol.
Stoker says that the researchers will be crossbreeding many regional varieties of woad in a bid to create a tall plant with a high indigo yield. The taller the plant, the less the damage caused to it by combine harvesters and the greater the quantity of dye that can be extracted from the leaves. The ..."
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Woad Woes
"Utah is determined to rid itself of Dyer's Woad (Isatis tinctoria), an invasive plant introduced to the state over a century ago, and -everyone- is getting involved. If you're a kid and you live in Box Elder or Cache county, you can earn $10 per bag of Dyer's Woad (sorry, there's a 2 bag limit!). Mormons led camping trips during the late 1990's during which participants pulled the weeds or sprayed them with herbicide. Dyer's Woad, as its name implies, can be used to make a dye, comparable to indigo. It has become a pervasive part of the landscape in Utah and surrounding states...."
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amanito, I live where kratty is legal (see my coordinate).
I would be happy to send some dry leaf sample to other country where it's legal to import these.
I mean free, but when you get any result please let us here know where to click.
PM me with your shipping address.
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Rev, so you have moved to tropical Australia? Queensland is one of the places I wish to visit besides Oaxaca in Mexico. I am most interested to see what subtropical fruiting plants might have grown there, and how tropical plants may adapt to the subtropical climate. Actually some highland areas in Java have temperature similarity to subtropical climate in Australia or the US.
Teo, I don't have a data on how well curculin respond to storage and its progress toward commercialization, but this is an interesting subject to discuss.
I don't think curculin has reached a commercial step so far, but it's not impossible. Take for example thaumatin, a sweet tasting protein isolated from West African plant fruit Thaumatococcus danielli. It was first isolated in 1972 and since then it has been commercialized and widely used in many consumer products in UK, Japan etc. Is the UK's brand name "Talin" popular in Australia?
One thing worth consideration is the thermostability, i.e. how high temperature it can remain unchanged, for how long and at what pH etc and of cource the palatability....
Other potential sweet-tasting proteins known so far are:
- monellin (from W. African plant Dioscoreophyllum cumminsii)
- mabinlin (from Chinese plant Capparis masakai)
- pentadin and brazzein (from W. African plant Pentadiplandra brazzeana)
In addition, miraculin is not a sweet tasting protein but rather a taste modifer, while curculin is unique compared to other natural sweet tasting proteins in that it not only elicits a sweet taste itself but also modifies water and sour substance into a sweet taste.
Interestingly, all of those proteins have been isolated from fruits of tropical plants where indigenous people have been using them to sweeten their foods, yet it has only been in the last 36 years efforts have been made to make the proteins commercially available. Curculin, for example, was isolated in 1990 by Japanese researchers.
I have read that a master chefs' secret to making fruit salad taste sweeter without adding any sugar is to sprinkle the fruit salad with an old fashion liquor called "Cynar" (brand name). Cynar is an artichoke based bitter. Its distinctive flavour is enriched from an infusion of 13 herbs and plants, a natural drink rich with perfumes.
Just imagine how much possibility we can think of making food taste better at less calory with these wonderful plants - Tropical Australia and Indonesia have the opportunity to produce their own natural low calory sweetener and flavour-enhancer products based on those sweet-tasting proteins.
Furthermore, the production of these proteins are no longer limited to extraction from their natural source, but they can be produced through recombinant DNA technology, i.e producing the same genes inside transgenic plants such as tomatoes etc. Curculin is also being expressed in transgenic plants and E. coli, as part of a cooperation between a japanese Company and a Japanese Research Facility, but few details of this programme have bcome public.
I've been wondering how many Japs have been exploring Indonesian forests quietly and registered some product patents while those corrupt nepotist bastards are busy satisfying themselves.
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Marasi (Curculigo latifolia)
The fruits of Marasi (Curculigo latifolia) are edible. The fruits of Curculigo latifolia taste like sweetened cucumber and increase the appetite. Though the fruits are not extremely sweet themselves, they produce a very sweet aftertaste when a drink is taken after eating the fruit. This also occurs when a sour substance is taken after the fruits, so native people eat the fruits to give a sweet taste to sour foods.
Vernacular names
Indonesia: marasi (Sundanese of West Java), keliangau (Bangka), doyo, lemba (Borneo). Malaysia: lumbah, lembah, lumbah rimba. Thailand: chaa laan, ma phraao nok khum (northern), phraa nok (peninsular). Vietnam: s[aa]m cau l[as] r[ooj]ng.
Origin and geographic distribution
Curculigo comprises about 20 species distributed in the tropics, but most species are also cultivated worldwide as ornamentals. In Malesia 5 species are indigenous. Curculigo capitulata occurs from South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal) through South-East Asia to Taiwan, Australia and the Pacific Islands (Solomon Islands, Hawaii). In Malesia it occurs in Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, the Moluccas), the Philippines (Luzon, Negros, Biliran, Mindanao), New Guinea and Manus Island. Curculigo latifolia (Marasi) occurs in India, Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Malaysia (Perak, Pahang, Sarawak, Sabah), Indonesia (Sumatra, Bangka, Lingga, Java, Kalimantan) and the Philippines (Palawan, Balabac, Samar).
Properties
The taste-modifying properties of the fruits of Curculigo latifolia (Marasi) are due to the presence of the protein curculin. Curculin is a dimer of two identical polypeptides of 114 amino acid residues. It has a sweet taste which disappears rapidly. When taken after curculin, water tastes sweet, and sour substances likewise seem to taste sweet. For instance, a lemon eaten after taking curculin elicits a sweet taste lasting for about 10 minutes. Curculin starts to be synthesized in the fruit a week after pollination and its content increases rapidly (from 0.16 to 1.8%) between 3 and 4 weeks after pollination, shortly before the fruit ripens.
Ecology
Curculigo spp. are shade-loving plants, thriving under partly shaded or sunless conditions, with abundant water supply. In experiments in the open field, Curculigo latifolia (Marasi) grew only very slowly and the leaves remained small. Curculigo prefers fertile, well-drained soils, rich in organic matter. In Java Curculigo capitulata occurs in primary and secondary forest up to 2000 m altitude and Curculigo latifolia (Marasi) in rain forest up to 1100 m altitude.
Propagation and planting
Curculigo can be propagated by division, suckers or freshly sown ripe seed. Curculigo latifolia (Marasi) produces numerous suckers, which can be removed and easily grown into new plants. The Benuaq of Borneo dig up the rhizomes, divide them and wrap the rhizome pieces with some earth in banana leaves held together with rattan. After sprouting, the plants are planted out near the house. In vitro clonal propagation of Curculigo latifolia is possible, with the best results being obtained with rhizome cultures. For this, a half-strength Murashige and Skoog medium was used, supplemented with sucrose (30 g/l), thiamine (0.4 g/l), coconut water (150 ml/l), kinetin (5 mg/l) and indole-acetic acid (2.5 mg/l). Survival of the potted-up plants was about 90%.
Husbandry
Curculigo is easy to cultivate, but requires ample water supply and very good drainage. It responds well to mulching.
Uses
In Peninsular Malaysia infusions of the leaves, stem-tips and roots of Marasi are all used internally against fever. Decoctions of the flowers and roots are taken as a stomachic and diuretic, whereas rhizome decoctions serve to treat menorrhagia and are applied as a lotion against ophthalmia. The rhizomes are also used against eye diseases in north-eastern India. In Borneo the leaves of Marasi play a role in magical healing ceremonies. Curculigo latifolia, Curculigo capitulata and other Curculigo spp. are also grown as ornamental plants, e.g. in Indonesia, India, Africa, Europe and the United States.
In Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia the leaf fibres of Marasi are made into fishing nets. In Borneo, they are also used to make ropes, twines, sarongs, rice bags and garments. The cloth made from the fibre is known as 'lemba' cloth. The leaves of Curculigo latifolia are rolled into strings. In Indonesia and Malaysia they also serve to wrap fruits, vegetables and other goods for transport. The uses of the leaves of Curculigo capitulata in Indonesia are similar to those of Curculigo latifolia (Marasi). The hill people of Camarines in Luzon (the Philippines) make false hair from the leaf fibres of Curculigo capitulata. In Ifugao (Luzon) children use Curculigo capitulata for warp in toy looms. The Lahu of northern Thailand use the leaves of Curculigo capitulata like banana leaves for wrapping.
- The above passages is taken from:
Brink, M., 2003. Curculigo Gaertn. In: Brink, M and Escobin, R.P. (Editors). Plant Resources of South-East Asia No. 17: Fibre plants. Backhuys Publisher, Leiden, The Netherlands. pp. 118-120
PS: Of all the member of Curculigo spp, so far only Curculigo latifolia (Marasi) which is known to have the taste-modifying properties. I think apothecary and darcy would be interested in this plant. At this moment I haven't got any seed or plant yet, but I have the Synsepalum dulcificum and this plant is a must-have for me, besides overseas species such as Quararibea funebris, Piper methysticum, and Ilex paraguariensis (those three are on my top want list).
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gotta love those hardy subtropicalsif its true maybe i should start a bael grove here
so where to get?
rutaceae usually means seeds have short viability
so id prefer a plant
should be ok from cuttings
Thanks for the correction, Rev
I ordered wampi seeds (Clausena lansium, Rutaceae) from Tradewinds, all of them were shipped dry and arrived in no less than 2 weeks but most of them proved to be viable. I've found at least two online seed retailers from Google search.
Bogor Botanical Garden collects Some trees, but I don't know if they ever produced fruits. Bogor is too damn wet and it rains all year round.
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AEGLE MARMELOS - A TRADITIONAL COLON CLEANSER
In Indonesia Aegle marmelos is called "Maja". It originated from India, Pakistan, Srinlanka and Bangladesh and have been distributed to Indo-China, Southeast Asia and other tropics.
Ripe fruits can be made into syrup, marmalade and fruit nectar. The transparent mucilage surrounding the seed is useful as traditional adhesive.
Extract from the young leaves and fruits is used in Java as 'fake marijuana'. Half ripe fruit is used to treat chronic dysentery, diarrhoea and constipation.
The skin of the raw fruit can be processed into yellow paint or tannin agent, as the fruit skin contains approx. 20% tannins. Tannins are important ingredient in the process of tanning leather (for waterproofing and preserving leathers). Other sources of tannins include pomegranates and tea.
In Sulawesi Island of Indonesia, the bark of Maja is used as fish poison. In Java, young leaves and shoots are eaten as a vegetable and used to season food. They are said to reduce the appetite, and many believe it can cause female sterility and abortion.
The fruit flesh is yellow or orange, soft, very fragrant and delicious. It contains marmelosin, mucilage, pectin, tannins, essential oil, limonena, coumarin, and steroid.
The alkaloid marmelosin has been reported to have anti-helminthic against hookworm and anti-bacterial activity. In large doses it lowers the rate of respiration, depresses heart action and cause sleepiness.
The mucilage is a substance that causes the production of mucous. Since the body cannot digest the mucilage, it will enter into the intestine. When this mucilage mixes with the feces, it will make the feces softer. Hence the bowel movement will be better as it helps constipation. It is useful in helping those who are under colon cleansing therapy.
The pectin is a natural fiber that keeps the arteries elastic and binds with bile acids, thereby decreasing cholesterol and and fat absorption. Pectin can also decrease chances of colon cancer by cleansing the intestinal tract with its soluble and insoluble fibers.
It can grow well in subtropical to tropical area having extreme temperatures such as -49 C during summer and -7 C during winter. in Southeast Asia it can only produce fruits when strict dry season presents, such as in Eastern part of Java, Madura and Sulawesi. It is said to do best on rich, well-drained soil, but it has grown well and fruited on the oolitic limestone of southern Florida. It grows well in swampy, alkaline or stony soils having pH range from 5 to 8 and has the reputation of thriving where other fruit trees cannot survive.
- From various sources -
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I have summarized the following article fom various local sources here:
Kembang Teleng, Indonesian Traditional Eyedrop Medicine
In most Javanese village areas of indonesia, it has become a tradition for the native people to treat their new-born-baby's eyes (who have just opened their reddish and cloudy eyes) with some blue coloured liquid. This traditional eyedrop is made of blue flower called "kembang teleng" (kembang, in javanese language means flower).
Kembang teleng (Clitoria ternatea l) is frequently found climbing along fences in villagers' houses. The beautiful blue flowers look very much in contrast with the surrounding green leaves. This plant belongs to the Papilionaceae (Leguminosae) family or peas family. In Java, this plant is mostly suited to those areas located from sea level up to about 700m elevation.
Just like peas, the leaves are made of odd number of leaflets, usually 5 or 7, each growing up to 10 cm long. The flowers resemble peas and are solitary or in pairs, bright deep blue (also found in violet or - rarely - white colour) with a yellow blotch in the centre.
Active chemical constituents include saponin, flavonoid, alkaloid, ca-oksalat, and sulfur. In particular, the leaf contains of kaemferol 3-glucoside, and triterpenoid. The solution from the leaves help in ripening skin boils. The flower contains delphinidin 3,3',5', triglucoside, and fenol. And the whole roots contain somewhat toxic chemicals with laxative, diuretic, emetic, and blood-purifying properties. The seed is useful as a traditional cure against parasitic worms and as a mild laxative.
To treat reddish eyes due to inflammation, pick 4 flowers and soak overnight in a cup of warm water and close tight. The next morning, the water will turn blue. Use the infusion to wash your eyes several times a day. Your eyes will be clean and look somewhat bluish afterwards. NOTE: You can also use Piper betle leaf infusion to clean your eyes but it will cause a stinging pain or discomfort to your eyes.
Infusion of the root in warm water can get rid of unwanted phlegm in chronic bronchitis, lessen fever, as well as treat irritation on urethra. Alcohol extracts from the roots may treat swelling on stomach organs.
Before artificial food colouring was available, the flowers were picked, dried and boiled to extract a blue colouring agent which was used in cakes made of grated tapioca, rice or glutinous rice flour. Other than colouring food, this flower was also used in the laundry. Washerwomen added two or three fresh flowers to the last rinse of their washing to brighten white fabric. The leaves are widely used as a nutritive multipurpose forage preferred by livestock over other legumes due to their palatability.
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I live in Japan.Perhaps we have recently been in touch by email concerning the hot temp of 40c we have in the summer?
Small world....
I will PM you fracts website url.
I remember you now, small world indeed
Thank's for the link.
E. novo history in Australia.
in Ethnobotany
Posted · Edited by -bijanto-
Guys,
It's so exciting to know that some of these plants have been conserved at some botanical gardens down there. I have a few friends working at several Indonesian plant research institutions so if there's any Australian botanical gardens require donation of these seeds, they are welcome to contact me, at least I can act like an interface or give them some information. I guess botanical gardens and research institutions have certain 'immunity' to import these seeds...?
I remember some years ago, someone sent a post somewhere that he received his novo seeds ordered from Ethnogarden Botanicals in Canada, but the seeds were actually shipped from Australia..!! I think it's back in 2000 or 2001. Later on there were some problems and next thing I know, they stopped selling these seeds.
There are a couple of plants in Java, cultivated at various altitudes. I know that there are about 5 mature E. novogranatense var Novogranatense plants at the Research Center for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Bogor. These plants share common characteristics of the E.novo var Novo: pale green, long, slender leaves with two marked lines parallel to the midrib on the underside of the leaf. The fruits are slender as well.
The two E. novogranatense plants cultivated at Bogor Botanical Garden are different, though. The name plates have been lost, so I don't know their exact names but as written in a book containing list of plants cultivated at the BBG (published for their internal purpose), the plants refer to: "E. novogranatense var. Huanuco". These two plants are big, almost 2 meter tall, they both look very similar in appearance: pale green leaf (general characteristic of E.novogranatense var Novogranatense) with marked underside parallel lines. The only difference that I can see is that the fruits are almost perfectly round. Bogor is a warm place, the temperatures of which never get below 20C and most of the time it's very humid. Bogor is situated around 400 m of elevation.
There are about 4 E.novogranatense var. Novogranatense plants cultivated by the Research Center of Medicinal and Aromatic plants in Lembang, North of Bandung, at an altitude of around 1400 m. Here they also grow some Eucalyptus species like Melaleuca bracteata (correct me if I'm wrong), and also Macadamia integrifolia trees that actually produce delicious fruits!!!. The novos grow happily there in the cool and comfortable mountain area, where I know the night and morning temperatures can get as low as 14-15 C.
I've never come across any P. somniverum plant in West Java. I know BBG don't have it. When I check in their plant catalogue, I've also seen Argyreia nervosa listed but when I check to the location, the plant doesn't exist anymore (thank you DC for the HBWR seeds). I'm sure there are a lot of plants in my collection that they don't have as well. For example they have Psychotria viridiflora, not P. viridis (thank you Ferret for the little plant, it's big now), also I have a big B. caapi which they don't (thank you planthelper for the cutting). They don't have any collection of Catha edulis, T. iboga and M. speciosa!! (they only grow M. parvifolia). What I'm trying to say, is that some botanical gardens are probably lack passion, they can't do it alone. They need us, plant society. Someone who love plants, not just grow them.
Here are the novo plants in Lembang: