herm. and Herm.
herm. is a botanical/zoological abbreviation for hermaphrodite, a sexually reproducing organism that produces both male and female gametes. Herm. following the name of a Christian saint denotes that the saint was a hermit
Piceol is a phenolic compound found in the needles and in mycorrhizal roots of Norway spruces and more
Piceol is a phenolic compound found in the needles and in mycorrhizal roots of Norway spruces (Picea abies). Picein is the glucoside of piceol. Pungenin is a also phenolic compound found in the needles of Blue Spruce (Picea pungens). It is the&n
Baccharis is a genus of perennials and shrubs in the aster family (Asteraceae)
They are commonly known as baccharises but sometimes referred to as “brooms”, because many members have small thin leaves resembling the true brooms. They are not at all related to these however, but belong to an entirely different lineage of eudicots. B. halimifolia is commonly kn
Aetokthonotoxin (AETX) aka ‘eagle toxin’ discovered in 2021
Aetokthonotoxin (AETX), colloquially ‘eagle toxin’, was discovered in 2021 as the cyanobacterial neurotoxin causing vacuolar myelinopathy (VM) in eagles in North America. Avian vacuolar myelinopathy (AVM) is a fatal neurological disease that affects various waterbirds and rapt
Cassava is used in a number of commercially available laundry products
Cassava is also used in a number of commercially available laundry products, especially as starch for shirts and other garments. Using cassava starch diluted in water and spraying it over fabrics before ironing helps stiffen collars.
Adrenaline has been isolated from the plant Scoparia dulcis found in Northern Vietnam
Scoparia dulcis is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family. Plantaginaceae, the plantain family, is a large, diverse family of flowering plants in the order Lamiales that includes common flowers such as snapdragon and foxglove. It is unrelated to the banana-like fruit also ca
Phytoecdysteroids are plant-derived ecdysteroids
Phytoecdysteroids are plant-derived ecdysteroids. Phytoecdysteroids are a class of chemicals that plants synthesize for defense against phytophagous (plant eating) insects. These compounds are mimics of hormones used by arthropods in the molting process known as ecdysis. When insects
Xylose is the main building block for the hemicellulose
Xylose is the main building block for the hemicellulose xylan, which comprises about 30% of some plants (birch for example), far less in others (spruce and pine have about 9% xylan). Xylose is otherwise pervasive, being found in the embryos of most edible plants. It was first isolated from wood
Cluster roots aka proteoid roots
Cluster roots, also known as proteoid roots, are plant roots that form clusters of closely spaced short lateral rootlets. They may form a two- to five-centimetre-thick mat just beneath the leaf litter. They enhance nutrient uptake, possibly by chemically modifying the soil environment to improv
Rose madder aka madder
Rose madder (also known as madder) is a red paint made from the pigment madder lake, a traditional lake pigment extracted from the common madder plant Rubia tinctorum. Madder lake contains two organic red dyes: alizarin and purpurin. As a
1,3-Dihydroxyanthraquinone aka purpuroxanthin or xanthopurpurin
1,3-Dihydroxyanthraquinone, also called purpuroxanthin or xanthopurpurin, is an organic compound with formula C14H8O4 that occurs in the plant Rubia cordifolia (Indian madder). It is one of ten dihydroxyanthraquinone isomers. Its molecular structure can be viewed as being derived from an
1,2,4-Trihydroxyanthraquinone aka purpurin
1,2,4-Trihydroxyanthraquinone, commonly called purpurin, is an anthraquinone. It is a naturally occurring red/yellow dye. It is formally derived from 9,10-anthraquinone by replacement of three hydrogen atoms by hydroxyl (OH) groups. Purpurin is also called verantin, smoke Brown G,&
Rubia cordifolia aka common madder or Indian madder
Rubia cordifolia, often known as common madder or Indian madder, is a species of flowering plant in the coffee family, Rubiaceae. It has been cultivated for a red pigment derived from roots. Common names of this plant include manjistha in Sanskrit, Marathi, Kannada and Bengali, majit
Rubia peregrina aka common wild madder
Rubia peregrina, the common wild madder, is a herbaceous perennial plant species belonging to the bedstraw and coffee family Rubiaceae. Etymology The genus name Rubia derives from the Latin ruber meaning “red”, as the roots of some species (mainly Rubia tinctorum) have bee
Hydrangea macrophylla
Hydrangea macrophylla is a species of flowering plant in the family Hydrangeaceae, native to Japan. It is a deciduous shrub growing to 2 m (7 ft) tall by 2.5 m (8 ft) broad with large heads of pink or blue flowers in summer and autumn. Common names include bigleaf hydrangea, French