The most expensive of my camping purchases finally arrived. It was a long wait while I bought the essentials and kept postponing this purchase. I didn’t plan it this way -to make this my most expensive purchase, but as the years went by, so did my paycheck and of course I wanted something which would be of good quality and of lasting value. I had almost finalized Steiner binoculars -the rugged military models with the built in range finding reticle and compass, but both the times that I tried at Optics planet, my card was declined even though the Nikon I finally bought was much more expensive than the Steiner.

With the optional binocular harness attached

I chose this model ( The Nikon ) because I was very pleased with the quality of my Nikon D40x SLR and a bit less with my SB 800 Flash (which could have been improved upon). Sometimes fate decides where you buy from, especially if you are making an online purchase from the east. Many merchants shun International sales or charge such an atrocious amount for shipping that it  doesn’t make any sense to buy from them. Optics Planet did not have the model in stock so on adding the Nikon to my cart at a few merchants and checking their shipping rates, I finally decided on buying from Adorama’s website. It was a familiar name on camera review sites so I felt safe shopping with them.

Now that I look back, I never did a proper research on the technologies and models available at their store as I was tired of these things as I had been postponing my purchase for the last 3 years and the only thing I wanted was to check it off my list ASAP. At the same time I had also learned that we were having our organization’s RGB (Regional Governing Body) meeting yet again at Corbett Park -close to the tiger sanctuary. Although for the past two years I had seen nothing but pug marks and tiger poop, I planned to have a glorious time watching the birds. If the big cat came out I would count that as an added bonus. This would also be a good place to review my new binoculars.

The twist up/down eye cups, excellent focus knob and the diopter correction ring on the right

Back at Adorama’s online shop,  I chose the black model initially, but by the time I reached check out, I realized that I was late for work and so rushed off. Around lunch, I went back to Adorama’s site and searched for the Nikon Monarch 8 x 42 again. Instead of finding the same model, I found its twin sister in Realtree camouflage. I was so glad that I was unable to place an order in the morning and placed an order for this model. A couple of days later, I did the same search again and found another model at a higher price, this model had dielectric written on it. I searched some other sites and they referred to it as the new Monarch ATB 8 x 42. The description on Nikon’s site also said that this model was Nitrogen filled. The last thing I wanted was to buy a

The well padded soft case with Velcro closure

model which had been superseded by a newer one, so I inquired whether  I could change my order. However I was told that the order had already left the warehouse. I was disappointed, but the model I had placed an order for had very good reviews too. All the reviews were for the black version of the Monarch though and I was hoping that the only difference between the two was the difference in color -One in black and the other in Realtree Camo.

Killing time as the product shipped, I read up on the various technologies on Wikipedia. I already knew about the porro prism binoculars as I had a 7×35 Russian made model bought at Fort in Mumbai around 15 years  ago for 1/20th the cost of these binoculars. Roof prism binoculars come in two technologies; The Schmidt-Pechan prism, and the Abbe-koenig prism.

I noted some advantages and disadvantages…

The roof prism binocular made for a narrower and more compact binocular and it didn’t need periodic re-alignment. What was scary though was that roof prism binoculars were highly precise instruments and would need to be returned to the factory for any re-alignment. Then the light transmission was lesser in roof prism binoculars than in binoculars employing porro prisms.

The sides of the soft case are left open to accomodate the binocular straps, but also let in stuff such as rain water, dust and sandwich crumbs

I read up on the two technologies for roof prism binoculars and also checked out Nikon’s description of their roof prism technology and it resembled more of a Schmidt-Pechan prism than the Abbe-koenig prism. Here are two links to the Nikon site describing these prisms; one, two.

The difference in the New binoculars -the ones with the “dielectric prism coating” sticker seems to be the new dielectric coating and probably that it is nitrogen filled as the previous model did not have this mentioned in its specs. However on comparing the specs, I found some small differences such as Angular field of view has been reduced and that the exit pupil has been made smaller etc.. (Trade offs fro the Dielectric model?) The specifications and description from the Nikon site  (for the dielectric model) are as follows:

Specifications

• Focusing System
  Central Focus
• Magnification
  8x
• Objective Diameter
  42mm
• Angular Field of View (Real)
  6°
• Angular Field of View (Apparent)
  55.3°
• FOV at 1000 yds
  314 ft
• Close Focus Distance
  8.2 ft
• Exit Pupil
  3.6 mm
• Relative Brightness
  28.1
• Eye Relief
  19.6mm
• Size (Length x Width)
  5.7 x 5.1 in
• Weight
  21.5 oz
• Interpupilary Distance
  56-72mm
• Phase Coating
  Yes
• Waterproof/Fogproof
  Yes
• Prism
  Roof
• Supplied Accessories
  Nikon binocular travel case, adjustable binocular strap and lens covers.

(They forgot to mention “shitty manual in many languages”  under supplied accessories.)

Nikon is a master craftsman of lenses and in applying lens coatings so the optics should be impeccable.

The optional binocular harness attaches to the binocular with the supplied black plastic wire ties. Shame on you Nikon!

The package from Adorama finally arrived on 4th April 2011. I got a shock of my life when UPS demanded INR 4265 as customs duty. This pegged my purchase at INR 19200. I was a bit disappointed as I knew that I got charged because Adorama mentioned on the invoice that this was “photographic equipment” which was what attracted such a large amount in customs duty and it was impossible to outargue anything as the product was branded Nikon. However two things were comforting; Adorama did ship me the dielectric model after all (I suppose the older model is no longer in stock) and some of the Indian online shops were charging around INR 25,000 for the same. However I was still a bit disappointed as I knew that if it had shipped via USPS (which was not an option at Adorama’s site) then I would have saved on that amount. In USD, I got the binoculars for $244.95 plus $61 for shipping to India via UPS. The dielectric model however was pegged at $299.95 -a difference of $55. But don’t forget to subtract the customs duty from the $55 grrrrr….

It came well padded with air filled plastic bags and packed in a sturdy box. In addition, I  also bought  Nikon’s binocular harness for $15.95. I  wanted to buy the tripod adapter for another $16.95 but had already exceeded my budget as the Steiner which I had budgeted for was selling in the $220 range. On unpacking, it wasn’t as exhilarating as I was expecting it to be -probably the damper was the customs duty I paid. In fact I didn’t open it for a few hours which wasn’t like me at all. I felt like the Grinch.

Lest my colleagues all want to look out of the window, I took it to the privacy of the conference room and examined it. It was typically Nikon, a superbly crafted piece of equipment. Just like my SLR, it had the right amount of weight to give it feel and balance and fit my hands very well. There were two thick manuals (more on that later) a high quality strap and a stingy amount of silica gel. (I replaced this with one of the large  packets of desiccant that came with our new IBM server.)

On the down side, as I ran my hand over one of the barrels, I felt a burr, probably a remnant of the realtree camo job. I checked everything and it was all made in China, including the strap and I swallowed hard. The lens caps were as every reviewer has said… so un-Nikon like. Although I did not have many problems with the front caps as so many people did (Did Nikon rework them because of the complaints?) but they automatically popped off every time I removed the binoculars from its case. The single lens cover on the user side was like an over sized lid slipping off every now and then without rhyme or reason. In addition, you can only use it threaded through the standard binocular strap and not with the binocular harness. When I use the harness, which I plan to, I’ll have to pocket the lens cap to keep it from getting lost.

The manuals are works of art in high quality paper containing basically in many different languages what could be said on a single sheet of paper the size of their warranty card. I wonder if they though of this waste when they were designing their “responsibly manufactured Eco-Glass”. Most of the manual is full of dumb things… don’t walk looking through your binoculars, don’t swing your binoculars around or you might give someone a black eye, don’t look at the sun through it etc… Its like the printed ‘Do not eat’ labels on the silica gel packets. No one in their right mind would want to eat them, the only ones who would are the toddlers who can’t read or understand anyway.

This model drew a lot of flak for its case too. However it seemed to me that the case was decent for a pair of binoculars, probably Nikon once more took note and worked on it. The only two downsides to it would be the top for the case, which is just a flap and would allow -for example sandwich crumbs to fall into the case or fill with rain water, and the Velcro which makes an evil sound when opening the case which is guaranteed to empty the birds out of the trees and make the monkeys take offense. I plan to replace the Velcro with a magnetic catch. Once my wallet recovers from this shock, I might also check out other photographic shops for a better case. The sides are probably left open to let the binocular strap through. I’d prefer though that my binocular was fully protected from the elements and accidents and that its case have its own external strap.

The one piece rear lens cover which never stays on the rear lenses except when inside the soft case. It might work better with the stock strap provided with the Nikon as it has got notches for threading it through it.

My cribbing wouldn’t be complete without two other things, the binocular harness and the product registration. I had noted other users complain that they had to pay an extra $20 for the clips on the harness so was pleasantly surprised to find the clips on and also two good quality brown metal rings to attach the clips to the binoculars. What I uncovered next came as a rude shock. I was expected to attach the binoculars to the rings using the provided two black tie-wraps (aka zip ties or cable ties) which are normally used to secure wires inside a computer. These were meant to secure wires rather than hang a load from. I’m also worried that abrasion at those points will damage the paint job. I’m disappointed with Nikon for once.

Coming to the product registration, I could not register however hard I tried, in fact it is close to impossible to locate the serial number. I never succeeded and checking online, I found that I wasn’t the only one with this problem. There is only one number on the body and the product registration page doesn’t accept it. There were a lot of similar questions on the net. In fact even if I did, it would figure out that the product came from the US market and probably list it as a grey market product. I can’t see any reason why I should not buy grey market products then… yes Nikon threatens with a no support policy for grey market stuff, but then I don’t want support from Nikon India. In fact, if my SLR or binocular or Flash conked out, I’d discard them and buy a new one from Chandni chowk.

I took a long route home last evening. Walked for about 5 kms and also through the gardens behind the Lotus temple. I saw some nests in the trees and pointed my binoculars at them. The picture was beautiful, a family of kites feeding their young. The father looked almost as big as a large vulture through the glasses. Then I pointed my glasses at the outline of the ISKCON temple which was back lit by the evening Sun. I was astonished to see a clear image.

Luckily my friend called me up from Mussoorie inviting me for a camp, so it looks like I wont have to wait till July to review this baby.

15th July 2011

The binocular harness is very comfortable to wear and the weight of the binocular is hardly felt. The binocular also hangs close to the body instead of banging against you when walking

I did take it to Mussoorie. I could not use it much, but one incident stands out. I was observing the Himalayan Banj, and I noticed some nodes on the tree that I couldn’t quite place. When I glassed the tree, I could see a peanut like fruit affixed to the tree encased in what looked like the shade of an incandescent lamp. These were acorns that had split open… I could see it so clearly and the colors were so rich even in the light of the evening sun that I was glad I bought these binoculars.

At our meetings close to the Corbett tiger reserve, I put it to much more use even though I hardly had any free time for the four odd days that we were there. Most of the mornings were useless as the monsoons had set in and the humidity was very high. On coming out from our AC rooms, both our cameras and binoculars would fog up due to condensation and stay that way for the next hour or so no matter how many times we cleaned the lenses. Finally for the last two days, I wisened up and started leaving my camera and binoculars in the washroom for the night where there was no AC. The next morning I observed some beautiful birds on the bank of the Kosi river. It was amazing how the bright colors popped off the birds. It was like setting my Nikon D40x camera to vivid mode. I watched till my neck started aching and then moved on.

Finally on the second last day we went for an early morning tiger safari. This year was even worse, no tiger poop either -only pug marks -one step backward from last year. It was drizzling too, the big cats would have all taken shelter. We were sitting with grumpy looks on our faces as the jeeps were covered with plastic and the taller ones like me could not see a thing. Finally at the first stop we all rebelled and asked the driver to take off the plastic sheets.  As the guide helpfully took our cameras, we stood in the light rain holding on to the grab bar and balancing on the rear edge of the jeep. It was fun in a way as the four by four Maruti Gypsy slid, turned and slipped in the mud and crashed through the shallow streams as we held on for dear life.

I was using the comfortable Nikon binocular harness, it hardly felt loaded. Then I experienced its down side. The eye piece cap cover was designed to be used with the stock strap that comes with the binocular, otherwise it is looser than an oversized hat. It was like covering a saucepan with a dinner plate and would fall off every now and then. It happened more than 15 times as the jeep bounced along on the jungle trails. I dared not stow it in my pocket as a light drizzle was on.Luckily it always fell inside the jeep.  I came very close to losing the eye piece cover many times. Yeah and the front covers kept popping off every 30 seconds or so. The water proofing was good. Of course it was only a light drizzle  and none of us were exactly soaking wet.

One test that I could not finish was how the Nikon performs in low light conditions. I’ll add it to this post whenever I have an opportunity.

 To summarize:

PROS:

• Excellent optics. Colors spring to life.
• Waterproof
• Feels good in the hand and has good balance.
• In spite of the RT camo job, you can still get a good grip on the binoculars even when it is wet.
• Well padded case with provision for belt attachment
• Excellent and smooth focus knob with just the right amount drag
• Great build quality, soft grippy rubber parts.

CONS:

• Manual was written with kindergarten kids as the target audience.
• Case has a Velcro closure which disturbs the peace.
• Case leaves the sides open and thus does not fully protect the binoculars
• Product registration is a sham
• Lens/eye piece covers were designed by some neanderthal who never uses binoculars.
•  Retractable eye pieces to aid in switching from contacts/normal vision to glasses. Keeps retracting by itself -again dumb design.
• Front covers sometimes spring back up and partly obstruct viewing.
• Fogproof? Is it only me? Someone leave some feedback.

Overall it is a very good investment even at its steep price -thanks to the Nikon badge. Yet there are so many rough edges… it feels like a BMW engine fitted into a CNG Taxi driven by a Sardarji. Unfortunately, most of the cons can be overcome even by the cheapest binocular manufacturer as they are not highly technical issues but issues which only require a dose of common sense and a desire to spend a few extra bucks for customer satisfaction. Its a beautiful product though. Get the tripod adapter too  guys, my muscles still ache! I recommend this binoculars and rate it as one of my better purchases.

 

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Buds, Flowers and leaves of the Calotropis procera in Charmwood Village, Faridabad, Haryana

A folk remedy for joint pains. The leaves are wiped clean, toasted on a tava (griddle) on both sides till the leaf wilts and becomes pliable, applied to affected part and bandaged.

Distribution: Throughout India on plains and on wastelands up to 900 meters.

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A dried seed pod releasing its seeds to the wind (Calotropis procera) [Courtesy Wikipedia

Flowers: White or Lavender  in colour. A flower that has fully bloomed has a centre that resembles a crown.

Medicinal uses : (unverified)

• Leaves found to be effective for treating elephantiasis.
• Flowers along with jaggery are useful against cough and improving appetite.
• A mixture of its latex, turmeric and sesame oil  is useful in treating scabies.
• Plant works as a powerful cardiac stimulant (probably due to the cardiac glycosides present in the latex)

A sticky latex is present in most parts of the plant

Medicinal uses : (verified that it is used this way, however its efficacy is not verified)

Other uses:

• The long fibers (fluff) attached to the seeds may once have served as lamp wicks.
• Some scholars suggest that the fibers could also have been spun and woven into a kind of linen in Biblical times.
• The seed fluff is used as a stuffing for pillows instead of cotton and rural folks use it for therapeutic reasons.
• The seed fluff might serve as a down alternative in cold climates. (untested)
• The seed fluff might serve as a good tinder for fire starting, particularly when still in its dried shell. (untested)
• Traditionally, leather manufacturers fermented parts of the plant and mixed it with salt using  it  to aid in dehairing goat ( for making “nari leather”) and sheep skins for production of  leather.
• Yields a durable fiber (commercially known as Bowstring of India) useful for ropes, carpets, fishing nets, and sewing thread. This is possibly obtained from the inner bark -the phloem layer of the stem.
• My friend from Bihar claims that his father used to harvest Calotropis roots from the oldest plants in the forest and prepare drums out of them for sale. He also claims that the roots are preferred for making Sarangi‘s – ( An Indian musical instrument) as it resonates with a very sweet voice.
• The latex was allegedly used to to coat arrow tips during the production of poison tipped arrows

CREDITS : |Sunayana Walters | Spoorthy P | Charlton P | Ramdhani Yadav | Daniel Masih| Manorama Soans|Malyadri Sudarsi|

 

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This is not a comprehensive glossary of botanical terms, but only a list of the terms used in the botanical section of this website. It was put together so that users reading the posts in the botanical section need not go through it with a botanical reference book at hand.

Bract

Papery (upper) and leafy bracts on hay rattle (Rhinanthus minor). All the "leaves" in this image are bracts.

A bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often (but not always) different from foliage leaves, for example being smaller, larger, or of a different color or texture. Some bracts are brightly colored and serve the function of attracting pollinators, either in concert with or instead of the perianth. An excellent example of this latter type of bract occurs in the Poinsettia plant (Euphorbia pulcherrima), which has small green flowers, surrounded by large scarlet bracts. Considering the broadest meaning of the term, any leaf associated with an inflorescence is called a bract. A bract is usually located at the node where the main stem of the inflorescence forms, joined to the main stem of the plant, but other bracts can exist within the inflorescence itself.

Corm

The corm in Taro (Colocasia esculenta, Arbi in Hindi)

A corm (or bulbo-tuber, bulbotuber) is a short, vertical, swollen underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ used by some plants to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat (estivation). A corm consists of one or more internodes with at least one growing point, with protective leaves modified into skins or tunics. The thin tunic leaves are dry papery, dead petiole sheaths, formed from the leaves produced the year before, which act as a covering that protects the corm from insects and water loss. Internally a corm is mostly made of starch-containing parenchyma cells above a circular basal node that grows roots.Corms are sometimes confused with true bulbs; they are often similar in appearance to bulbs externally, and thus erroneously called bulbs. Corms are stems that are internally structured with solid tissues, which distinguishes them from bulbs, which are mostly made up of layered fleshy scales that are modified leaves. As a result, when a corm is cut in half it is solid, but when a true bulb is cut in half it is made up of layers. Corms are structurally plant stems, with nodes and internodes with buds and produce adventitious roots. On the top of the corm, one or a few buds grow into shoots that produce normal leaves and flowers.

Inflorescence

Anthurium scherzerianum inflorescence with spathe and spadix

An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified. The modifications can involve the length and the nature of the internodes and the phyllotaxis, as well as variations in the proportions, compressions, swellings, adnations, connations and reduction of main and secondary axes. The stem holding the whole inflorescence is called a peduncle and the main stem holding the flowers or more branches within the inflorescence is called the rachis. The stalk of each single flower is called a pedicel.The fruiting stage of an inflorescence is known as an infructescence. A flower that is not part of an inflorescence is called a solitary flower and its stalk is also referred to as a peduncle.

Spadix

A spadix is a type of spike inflorescence having small flowers born on a fleshy stem. Spadix are typical of the Family Araceae known as arums or aroids. The spadix is typically surrounded by a leaf like curved bract known as a spathe For example, the “flower” of the well known Anthurium spp is a typical spadix with a large colorful spathe.

Spathe

A spathe is a large bract that forms a sheath to enclose the flower cluster of certain plants such as palms, arums, and day flowers. In many arums, the spathe is petal-like, attracting pollinators to the flowers arranged on a type of spike called a spadix.

Succulents

Succulent plants, also known as succulents or fat plants, are water-retaining plants adapted to arid climate or soil conditions. Succulent plants store water in their leaves, stems, and also in roots.

 

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A majestic Deodar tree at the eco park in Dhanaulti

While maybe not as famous as the Cedars of Lebanon (Cedrus libani ), the Himalayan cedar  holds its own in its territory. Just as tall and straight, with thin spreading branches and fragrant cones, this tree caught my attention both upwards of Kathwar village in Himachal pradesh and Landour in Mussoorie.  I did initially confuse it with the Chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) but after observing the tree closely realized that the needles were shorter and branches spread out differently in the Deodar.

Botanical name : Cedrus deodara

Common name  : Himalayan Cedar, Deodar (Deodar seems to sound like Dev-dhar which literally means carrying or carries the gods)

Local Names      : Hindi, Gujarati Devdaar, Sanskrit Devdaaru

The interior of one of the rooms of an old Cedar house in Kathwar Village in Himachal Pradesh

Description : The Cedrus deodara is a large evergreen coniferous tree growing in the 1500–3200 m altitude range. It reaches heights of about 40–60 meters and occasionally reaches 90 meters. Its trunk can grow up to 3 meters in diameter. It has a conical crown with level branches and drooping branchlets.

Leaf    : The leaves are needle-like, mostly 2.5–5 cm long, occasionally up to 7 cm long, slender (1 mm thick), borne singly on long shoots, and in dense clusters of 20-30 on short shoots; they vary from bright green to glaucous blue-green in colour.

The short needles of the Deodar near Char Dukan, Landour (Mussoorie)

Flower/fruit   : The female cones are barrel-shaped, 7–13 cm long and 5–9 cm broad, and disintegrate when mature (in 12 months) to release its winged seeds. The male cones are 4–6 cm long, and shed their pollen in autumn.

Uses      : Deodar is in great demand as building material because of its durability, rot-resistant character and fine, close grain, which is capable of taking a high polish. Its historical use to construct temples and is well recorded. Its rot-resistant character also makes it an ideal wood for constructing the famous houseboats of Srinagar in Kashmir. During the British colonial period in India, Deodar wood was used extensively for the construction of barracks, public buildings, bridges, canals and railway cars.

Green Cedar cones near Char Dukan, Landour (Mussoorie) in August

The inner wood is aromatic and used to make incense. It is also distilled into an essential oil. As insects avoid this tree, the essential oil is used as insect repellent on the feet of horses, cattle and camels. It also has antifungal properties and has some potential for control of  deterioration of spices (fungal) during storage. Cedarwood oil, extracted from the herb, is used for catarrhal conditions of the respiratory tract. It is an expectorant. It is also useful for ulcers and skin diseases. The outer bark and stem are astringent. Its biomedical actions are reported to be carminative and  antispasmodic. It promotes sweating, works as a diuretic and is also used as an aromatic. In Ayurveda, the Deodar extracts are reported to increase digestive function, remove toxins from the bowel, alleviate coughing, and cure skin disorders such as eczema and psoriasis. Cedar oil is often used for its aromatic properties, especially in aromatherapy. It has a characteristic woody smell which may change somewhat in the course of drying out. The extracted crude oils are often yellowish or darker in color. It is used in soaps, perfumes, household sprays, floor polishes and insecticides and is also used as a clearing oil when working with microscopes. The leaves are bitter, acrid, thermogenic and are useful in inflammations and in the treatment of tubercular glands.

The thin spreading branches of the Himalayan Cedar

 

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The Jack in the pulpit first caught my attention on a walk on the Chaar dukaan – Lal Tibba circuit in Landour Mussoorie. It seemed similar to a pitcher plant, but had no lid, and a snake like (unforked) tongue rising into the air. When I returned to Mussoorie a month later this plant had vanished. This plant remained a mystery until a friend gave me his copy of the Woodstock field guide which identified the plant for me.

Meanwhile on my walkabouts, I started noticing  this neat plant which had what looked like a cob with green kernels of “corn”. Fortunately , I was around long enough -another month in Mussoorie to watch the green corn like fruit ripen to a startling bright red and then fall one by one to the ground. It was only when I searched Google for Arisaema  triphyllum, that I realized that all these different sightings were of the same plant commonly called Jack in the Pulpit. I guess I missed the flowering season for the month that I was back in Delhi.

The snake hood

The green cob

The ripe cob

The soft ripe fruit falling off

Botanical name : Arisaema triphyllum

Common name  : Common Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Bog onion, Brown dragon, Indian turnip, Wake robin or Wild turnip

Local Names      : Hindi Saap ka Bhutta (Lit. the snake’s corncob)

Description        : The plant has a cobra like hood with a green or brown unforked tongue protruding from under the hood. This is later replaced by the fruit.

Leaf                       : The leaves are trifoliate, with groups of three leaves growing together at the top of one long stem produced from a corm; each leaflet is 8-15 cm long and 3-7 cm broad

Flower                 :

Fruit                     : The fruit which looks like green corn soon turns bright red. Each bright red fruit has 4 spherical seeds resembling coriander.

Uses                     : The plant contains calcium oxalate crystals (Just like Colocasia esculenta -Taro/Arbi) in all parts, and because of this consumption of the raw plant material results in a powerful burning/pricking sensation. It can cause irritation of the mouth and digestive system, and on occasion the swelling of the mouth and throat may be severe enough to affect breathing and cause death due to suffocation.

If the plant is allegedly  properly dried or cooked, it can be eaten as a root vegetable.

A preparation of the root was reported to have been used by Native Americans as a treatment for sore eyes. Preparations were also made to treat rheumatism, bronchitis, and snakebites, as well as to induce sterility.

Warning: The oxalic acid in jack in the pulpit is poisonous if ingested

Note: [30th Nov 2010]

I just bought the excellent book Wildwood Wisdom by Ellsworth Jaeger and it says that the Indians ate the tuber of this plant after roasting or boiling. This therefore makes it no more dangerous than Colocasia esculenta [taro] (called arbi in Hindi) which is commonly/easily available in the market in India.

Back home, the leaves of the Colocasia esculenta are de-veined (the leaves are placed on a cutting board with their bottom facing upwards and the  protruding veins are sliced off horizontally leaving the leaf intact) The leaves are then stacked one on top of the other with layers of  ground rice paste in between and rolled, tied and steamed. They are then cut into slices and deep fried or added to a gravy. It is common practice to add lots of tamarind to the preparation of the leaves/tubers which seems to neutralize the oxalic acid. The tubers when cooked as part of a gravy become pretty slimy which some people like a lot (including me!)

 

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I saw my first woodland strawberry about 10 years back going  walkabout in Dalhousie  (Himachal Pradesh, India). I was more interested in animals than plants at this juncture. My friend pointed  out the plant on the trail and we picked and ate a few. A month back, I saw it in Dhanaulti on a trip along with a few friends. I picked and ate a few, but my friends were too scared to try it out. Later on, I found more of them along the many trails in around Landour in Mussoorie near the Landour Community Hospital and also on the trails around Woodstock school.  However unlike what was mentioned in Wikipedia, these did not have a strong taste, but were rather bland, watery and of course full of crunchy seeds. I found them to be very delicate and easily crushed so had to handle them  carefully even when plucking them from the plant.

Botanical name : Fragaria vesca

Common name  : Woodland strawberry, wild strawberry, European strawberry, Fraises des Bois, Alpine strawberry

Local Names      :

Description        : Typical habitat is along trails and roadsides, embankments, hillsides, stone and gravel laid paths and roads, meadows, young woodlands, sparse forest, woodland edges and clearings. Often plants can be found where they do not get sufficient light to form fruit. Creeps along the ground rooting at intervals of approximately 7 -10 centimeters with trifoliate leaves. The plant is shy so you need to look carefully for it. When there is fruit on the plant, it is easier to spot, thanks to the red fruit. The fruit however can be hidden below the leaves, when there is a lot of foliage. Often you can find strawberries which were leftover from someone else s foraging because they failed to spot some of the them.

Leaf                       : Trifoliate leaves on the creeper on a stem typically at the place where the creeper roots.

Flower                 : I haven’t been around in the flowering season, but other peoples photographs indicate a small white flower faintly resembling a wild daisy. The petals are much wider and fewer than a daisy though.

Fruit                     : Red and spherical with little bumps similar to the commercial strawberry

Uses                     : Edible! Probably can be used to prepare jams etc just like the commercial strawberries we an buy in the market, but would be more nutritious eating them as they are -fresh from the plant.

The US Marine corps survival guide states that the fruit is high in vitamin C and that the leaves are edible and can be eaten fresh or dried and used in tea.

 

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The Himalayan evergreen oak is an endangered tree in Northern India. The reasons for its decline are varied, the population explosion and probably global warming and deforestation all play a role in its decline. Another reason is the widespread aggressive pruning of the oaks for use as cattle feed and firewood by the local population. This results in the oaks not bearing any acorns hence there are no new trees coming up in these areas. In addition, whenever a landslide occurs (quite frequent in the monsoons) or an oak falls due to erosion washing away the soil from most of its roots, it is seen as a windfall and quickly chopped and disposed away as firewood . Nothing  however is planted to replace it.  This oak is a slow grower and takes decades to grow into a tall tree.

The Banj Oak's leaves and acorns

Botanical name : Quercus leucotrichophora (Some references also mention it as Quercus incana, but pictures of the leaves do not match on the web, Quercus incana could very well be the Bluejack Oak)

Common name  : Banj Oak, Himalayan White Oak

Local Names      : Hindi Banj, Himachali: Vari, Ring, Kumaoni: Phanal

Description        : The trees that I’ve seen are usually twisted and have wiry branches. However I have also seen trees reputed to be 50+ years old whose trunks are thick and tall.

Leaf                       : Stiff leathery dull green leaves with a greenish-white underside and sharp teeth on the edges.

Flower                 : The flowers come out in Catkins (Slim cylindrical flower clusters)

Fruit                     : The acorns are said to contain a peanut like core when broken, and seem to be eaten by Gray Langurs and Macaques

Uses                     :The wood is very hard and strong but does not seem to be used for furniture at least here in the Garhwal hills -probably because of its other uses, the trees are over-pruned and shapeless hence making it useless for furniture. Its leaves are said to be very nutritious and are therefore favored as cattle feed for stall fed cattle. Its leaves are also scattered over the floor under the cattle along with chopped hay (which I observed in Kathwar, Himachal Pradesh), where it is trod by the cattle over a period of time and gets mixed  with their urine and dung. This mixture is at certain intervals swept out and heaped outside the cattle shed to be used as manure to be spread out over the fields after planting crops (wheat, corn and ginger in this case). The wood is used as firewood as it burns very hot and being a hard wood, the coals last long. It is also used to make charcoal. Its leaves and wood are known to burn when even when they are green, provided they are added to a fire which is already burning well. The leaves are used by the Garhwali people to stuff goats prior to sewing them up and roasting them. The steam generated by the leaves helps in cooking the goat from the inside. Both in Kathwar and Mussoorie, the trees seem to grow only at higher altitudes (reputedly in the 1400-2300 m range) (In Mussoorie upwards of Landour Cantonment). I’ve sometimes chewed on the leaves when hungry on a walk, so the leaves are not poisonous, but I’m unsure whether it is used as food.  It leaves a not too bad after taste in the mouth -something like Kadipattta (Curry leaves -Murraya koenigii ) but contains none of the aromatic smell of Murray koenigii. The leaves have sharp serrations though, and are thick, papery and tough. The acorns are edible, I remember Ray Mears in one of his DVD’s using an aboriginal method for leaching out its bitter tannins by putting the ground up acorns into a bag and leaving it in a stream to remove the bitterness and make it palatable.

I got first hand experience of watching heavily pruned oaks on the way to Thatyur, a village in Tehri Garhwal district . Between Dhanaulti and  Thatyur, for over two kilometers or more, -every tree had been so heavily pruned for cattle feed and firewood that they were hardly recognizable any more. There was not a single tree either bearing acorns or bearing more than a basketful of leaves this too in the monsoon. It was sad to see such a useful resource being over exploited. Unfortunately the Eco task force too seems to prefer to plant the fast growing Chir Pine (Pinus roxburghii) to the slow growing endearing Banj oak. Soon we may not have these beauties around us.

25th April 2011

Catkins on the banj oak in the last week of April in Landour, Mussoorie

On a camping trip to Yamuna bridge a couple of hours drive from Mussoorie, I got a chance to observe the banj oak at a  different time of year. The oaks were adorned with cylindrical clusters of flowers  (catkins). The pollen from these is suspected to be a cause for allergies in some people.

When I used my new binoculars to get a close up view of the catkins I was amazed when I zoomed in on what seemed like small nodes on the tree. These were what was left of the acorns. They had broken off in half leaving a little peanut shaped seed in the remaining shell attached to the tree like an incandescent bulb fitted in a shade.

 

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4. Calotropis gigantea/procera
5. Woodland strawberry: Fragaria vesca
6. Glossary for the Botanical section
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