Latest news with #Asparagaceae
The Mainichi
2 days ago
- The Mainichi
Rare agave plant blooms at station in Fukuoka Pref., delighting passengers
BUZEN, Fukuoka -- An agave plant that is said to bloom only once every several decades has flowered on the inbound platform of JR Buzen Shoe Station in this southwest Japan city, captivating station users. According to the Kitakyushu municipal general agricultural center, the agave is a succulent of the Asparagaceae family native to tropical regions such as Central and South America. It produces yellow flowers at the tip of a tall flower stalk. The plant's spiny leaves resemble a dragon's tongue, which is apparently the origin of its Japanese name, "ryuzetsuran." About five agaves, reportedly planted during the Japanese National Railways era from 1949 to 1987, grow in the platform's flowerbed. The last bloom occurred in the summer of 2022. This year, the flower stalk began growing around June, surpassing 4 meters in height. Earlier in August, the flowers bloomed from the bottom up, shining golden in the midsummer sun. Yoshiaki Kawakami, 80, of the Buzen Chikujo branch of the Kyushu Railway Co.'s alumni association, which manages the station on the JR Nippo Line, said, "It should be at its best until the end of this month. I hope many people will come to see it," as he watched over the rare sight. (Japanese original by Yoshihisa Deki, Buzen Resident Bureau)
Borneo Post
02-08-2025
- General
- Borneo Post
Understanding uniqueness of elephant's foot plant
Combo photo shows the elephant's foot plant in the writer's orchard in Siburan. RECENTLY, I invited some former colleagues to my orchard in Siburan District, near Kuching, and they were surprised to see 'a new addition' there. It is an elephant's foot plant, named so after the large, rounded and textured base of the plant that resembles the foot of the pachyderm. The one at my orchard derived from a plantling given to me by James Kho, who brought it back from the Middle East many years ago. • Varieties I reiterate that in botany, the elephant's foot is signified by certain plants with a thick, swollen or bulbous stem or trunk resembling an elephant's foot. This part stores water and nutrients. The 'Beaucarnea recurvata', also called the 'ponytail palm', is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, and it has a swollen yam. It is a symbol of resilience and survival, being drought-tolerant and thriving on neglected conditions. As stated before, the swollen base stores water, enabling the plant to survive drought. Another variety is called 'Dioscorea elephantipes', the elephant's foot yam originating from South Africa, especially the Eastern Cape. Its appearance features a woody cracked caudex (basal stem) that – as mentioned many times earlier – looks like an elephant's foot. The elephant's foot yam from Indonesia is the 'Amorphophallus paeoniifolius', grown in many parts of Indonesia: Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi and Kalimantan, under mixed agroforestry systems. It is an indigenous food source, and it is grown in large quantities in Indonesia for export to Japan as a starch base in food manufacturing. • Propagation – From off-shoot as a propagating agent or seeds • Maintenance and upkeep i. Light – Bright indirect light to full sun is best. ii. Water – This plant, despite its water-storing capability, hate soggy roots and over-watering, which could kill the caudex. iii. Soil – Use a well-draining cactus or succulent mix. iv. Fertiliser – Use a balanced cactus or succulent fertiliser and feed sparingly. v. Dealing with pests – The plant is generally hardy, but watch out for mealybugs or spider mites. • Usage Upon maturity, the tubers of the Amorphophallus paeoniifolius would be harvested. They are washed, and later grated, of which the pulp is left for sedimentation until the starch settles at the bottom of the container. After that, the starch is left to dry and later, made into a powdered form. This is used in food and non-food industries. In food, its properties are it being gluten-free and having very low glycemic index. In the food industry, it functions mainly as a thickening agent that substitutes those made from other starches such as tapioca. It is used in products such as cake mix, snacks, as well as soups and sauces. In the non-food industry, its known usage is in the paper-products and textile manufacturing as a binding agent, as well as a raw material in the manufacturing of biodegradable packaging. Happy Gardening!
