Family of the week: BIXACEAE
satish phadke
BIXACEAE
A small family. It has only one genus and about four species. It is recognised by reddish sap,palminerved leaves,horse shoe shaped anthers and seeds with red fleshy testa. Bixaceae is mainly found in south america. An orange edible dye produced from the -testa of Bixa orellina called "annatto" is used to colour butter cheese and other food products.It is known as Rocou in french. and Shendri in Marathi. Only one plant known Bixa orellina (Lipstick plant) शेंदरी
Characters:
Leaves alternate heart shaped, simple entire
Sepals 4-7.Petals 5.Stamens indefinite distinct inserted upon the receptacle at the base of the calyx. Anthers 2- celled Ovary superior.
Fruit capsule or berry.
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Posted By SATISFIED to SATISFIED at 4/11/2008 06:00:00 AM
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SATISFIED http://satishphadke.blogspot.com/
Barry Stock
J.M. Garg
Bixaceae, or the achiote family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants. Under the Cronquist system, it was traditionally placed in the order Violales. However, newer arrangements move it, with some other families previously in the Violales families, into the Malvales.
Bixaceae includes 3 genera and a total of 25 species, although Cochlospermum is sometimes placed into its own family, Cochlospermaceae. The best-known of the species in this family is the source of annatto, the achiote, which belongs to the type genus of the family.
Although small, this family has the diversity within to include trees, herbs and shrubs. The plants are bisexual, and all species have five sepals. All plants within the Bixaceae produce a red, orange or yellow latex.
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SATISFIED http://satishphadke.blogspot.com/ For learning about our trees & plants, please visit/ join Google e-group (Indiantreepix) http://groups.google.co.in/group/indiantreepix?hl=en
For my Birds, Butterflies, Trees, Landscape pictures etc., visit http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/J.M.Garg
J.M. Garg
Achiote (Bixa orellana) is a shrub or small tree from the tropical region of the American continent. The name derives from the Nahuatl word for the shrub, achiotl. It is also known as Aploppas, and its original Tupi name urucu. It is cultivated there and in Southeast Asia, where it was introduced by the Spanish in the 17th century. It is best known as the source of the natural pigment annatto, produced from the fruit. The plant bears pink flowers and bright red spiny fruits which contain red seeds. The fruits dry and harden to brown capsules.
The inedible fruit is harvested for its seeds, which contain annatto, also called bixin. It can be extracted by stirring the seeds in water. It is used to color food products, such as cheeses, fish, and salad oil. Sold as a paste or powder for culinary use, mainly as a color, it is known as "achiote", "annatto" or "pimentao doce". It is a main ingredient in the Mexican spice mixture recado rojo, or "achiote paste". The seeds are ground and used as a subtly flavored and colorful additive in Latin American, Jamaican and Filipino cuisine. Annatto is growing in popularity as a natural alternative to synthetic food coloring compounds. It is an important ingredient of cochinita pibil, the spicy pork dish made famous in the film Once Upon a Time in Mexico.
- The achiote has long been used by American Indians to make body paint, especially for the lips, which is the origin of the plant's nickname, lipstick tree. The use of the dye in the hair by men of the Tsáchila of Ecuador is the origin of their usual Spanish name, the Colorados.
- Parts of the plant can be used to make medicinal remedies for such conditions as sunstroke, tonsilitis, burns, leprosy, pleurisy, apnoea, rectal discomfort, and headaches.
- The sap from fruits is also used to treat type 2 diabetes, and fungal infections
Here are some extracts from Wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bixaceae
Bixaceae, or the achiote family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants. Under the Cronquist system, it was traditionally placed in the order Violales. However, newer arrangements move it, with some other families previously in the Violales families, into the Malvales.
Bixaceae includes 3 genera and a total of 25 species, although Cochlospermum is sometimes placed into its own family, Cochlospermaceae. The best-known of the species in this family is the source of annatto, the achiote, which belongs to the type genus of the family.
Although small, this family has the diversity within to include trees, herbs and shrubs. The plants are bisexual, and all species have five sepals. All plants within the Bixaceae produce a red, orange or yellow latex.
On 4/11/08, bindu kapadia <bind...@gmail.com> wrote:
Here is an image of Bixa (which) taken at Bhimashanker in September.Regards,Bindu
On 4/11/08, satish phadke <phadke...@gmail.com> wrote:
BIXACEAE
BIXACEAE
A small family. It has only one genus and about four species. It is recognised by reddish sap,palminerved leaves,horse shoe shaped anthers and seeds with red fleshy testa. Bixaceae is mainly found in south america. An orange edible dye produced from the -testa of Bixa orellina called "annatto" is used to colour butter cheese and other food products.It is known as Rocou in french. and Shendri in Marathi. Only one plant known Bixa orellina (Lipstick plant) शेंदरी
Characters:
Leaves alternate heart shaped, simple entire
Sepals 4-7.Petals 5.Stamens indefinite distinct inserted upon the receptacle at the base of the calyx. Anthers 2- celled Ovary superior.
Fruit capsule or berry.
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Posted By SATISFIED to SATISFIED at 4/11/2008 06:00:00 AM
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SATISFIED http://satishphadke.blogspot.com/ "We often ignore the beauty around us"
For learning about our trees & plants, please visit/ join Google e-group (Indiantreepix) http://groups.google.co.in/group/indiantreepix?hl=en
For my Birds, Butterflies, Trees, Landscape pictures etc., visit http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/J.M.Garg
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With regards,
J.M.Garg
"We often ignore the beauty around us"
Vasant Barve
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Dr. Vasant Barve
# 9 Sneha Nagar 1st Cross, Amrutahalli, Main
Road Byatrayan Pura Bangalore 560 092,
Phone (R) 080 2353 3244, (M) 99455 99198