INNSPUB Journals’ Post

Geranium maculatum, commonly known as wild geranium, is a medicinal plant celebrated for its numerous health benefits. This versatile herb has a rich history of use in traditional medicine. In this article, we will explore the various medicinal properties and applications of Geranium maculatum. #NaturesPharmacy

THE NATALENSIS COLD EXPERIMENT – Day # 42 We are now exactly six weeks ago into my Psilocybe Natalensis Cold Treatment Experiment, and I couldn't be more pleased. But before I go into details, I should probably give a bit of the backstory, for you folks who haven't been following along with my prior posts about this personal research project... 42 days ago I inoculated a sterilized grain bag with spores from the mushroom species, Psilocybe natalensis, and for this entire period I've kept the bag in a temperature controlled warehouse, at 60 degrees F. Psilocybe natalensis is a species from South Africa – from the Natal Province of South Africa – and given its native habitat, one might expect this mushroom to requires warm (or even hot) temperatures in order to properly myceliate, pin, and then produce fully-formed fruiting bodies. But we are now at a point – six weeks into this experiment – where the grain bag I'd inoculated is almost completely myceliated. There are still a few minor patches of uncolonized grain scattered throughout the bag, though I expect these to become infiltrated with the growing mycelium during the course of the next day or two. At which point, I will transfer the grain over to pasturized substrate (i.e.: soil for mushrooms), and then continue the cultivation experiment at 60 degrees. This cold temperature experiment is coming along quite nicely, and meeting – and beating – my expectations. Okay... So, why is this important? Well, I believe it's important for people to have a successful cultivation, the first time they attempt to grow mushrooms at home, and Psilocybe natalensis is the species I've been recommending to people for that first cultivation. Natalensis is resistant to contamination, grows incredibly fast when given warm (i.e.: 65 to 70 degrees F) conditions, and – as is becoming more and more clear – tolerant of conditions that most people would find to be a bit chilly. "Chilly" conditions that are common to poorly insulated homes in the wintertime (especially in the Pacific Northwest portion of the U.S., where I live). I consider everything about this experiment to be a success – a raging success, actually – and will have more to report next week.

Mycorrhiza: 🛣️🦠 Soil highway for nutrient transfer & chemical communication 🌍 Mycorrhizal relations involve ∼50,000 taxa of soil fungi and ∼340,000 land plants (70–90% of all species). ⌛ Based on the fossil record and molecular estimates, the evolutionary history of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi originates as far back as 460 million years ago. 📌 Four major mycorrhizal types have been described based on their structures and functions: 1) Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) - 240 species of Glomeromycota, which constitute <0.5% of the relative abundance of fungal communities found in soil 2) Ectomycorrhiza (ECM) - specific for woody perennial shrubs and trees (about 2% of all land plants) 3) Ericoid mycorrhiza (ERM) - colonise only the plants in the families Ericaceae 4) Orchid mycorrhiza (ORM) - colonise only the plants in the families Orchidaceae 🔀 A single fungus can interconnect different plants underground to form common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs). 🧪 CMNs can act as highways for the transfer of nutrients and chemical signals between plants. 🦠 Soil bacteria and other fungi species inhabit the niches, being attracted to and fed by plant and hyphal exudates. 🌱 Specific mycorrhizosphere and hyphosphere microbiomes facilitate the release of nutrients (e.g. N and P) from soil organic matter. Source: Overview of mycorrhizal associations at the ecosystem scale by Shi et al. (2023); DOI: 10.1146/annurev-arplant-061722-090342. Credit: Michał Słota #rdcdiaries #soil #microbiome #biology #agriculture

Lagerstroemia indica, the crape myrtle (also crepe myrtle, crêpe myrtle, or crepeflower is a species of flowering plant in the genus Lagerstroemia of the family Lythraceae. It is native to the Indian Subcontinent (hence the species epithet indica), and also to Southeast Asia, China, Korea and Japan. The genus name honors Swedish botanist Magnus von Lagerström. It is an often multi-stemmed, deciduous tree with a wide spreading, flat topped, rounded, or even spike shaped open habit. The tree is a popular nesting shrub for songbirds and wrens.In the United Kingdom, Lagerstroemia indica has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. Health benefits: 1. antioxidants, cholesterol-lowering, and anti-obesity effects. 2. Lagerstroemia indica showed anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial, anti-Alzheimer's, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective and antithrombin effects. The current review discussed the chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of Lagerstroemia indica.