Purple Loosestrife
Bamboo
Bambusa vulgaris, commonly known as bamboo, is in phylum Anthophyta. It is a good plant and is mainly located in tropical, sub-tropical, and temperate areas such as Southeast Asia, South America, and Southeast U.S. Bamboo can grow almost 4 feet a day, and is one of the fastest growing plants in world. There are types of bamboo that grow from 12 inches up to 75 feet in height and have a variety of colors. It is an angiosperm and is also a monocot which means it has one cotyledon and all of the other characteristics of a monocot. It is also a group of perennial evergreen that provide many aesthetic and functional purposes for landscapes. Bamboo is the largest member of the grass family. It is a better alternative than using wood for houses, flooring, and other things because bamboo grows much faster than wood trees which would prevent deforestation across the world. In bamboo the dicotyledonous, woodly xylem is absent which casues some of the stems to be hollow. The growth rate of bamboo is dependent on local soil and climate conditions in the area. Some types of bamboo can live in diverse climates from cold mountains to hot tropical regions. Bamboo is an economic and cultural significance in East and Southeast Asia, and is also ussed for builing materials , a food source, and a versatile raw material throughout the world. Europe is not known to have any native species of bamboo. Bamboo grow best in full sun, but flower infrequently and can sometimes take as long as 65 to 120 years to flower.
Lythrum salicaria, commonly known as purple loosestrife, is in the phylum Anthophyta. It is a bad and invasive plant that is mainly found in wetlands throughout Europe, Asia, and the U.S. Purple loosestrife are origanilly from Europe, but spread through wetlands in North America around the 1900's. It can be used as a medicinal herb for treatment of diarrihea, dysentery, bleeding, wounds, ulcers, and sores. This plant can reach heights of 2 meters with 30 to 50 stems forming wide-topped crowns. One mature plant produces 2 million seeds per year. The seeds and easily dispersed throuhg water and adhere to aquatic wildlife, livestock, and humans. Since purple loosestrife is a flowering plant it is also an angiosperm. It grows best in high temperatures and open, moist soils. They have woody rootstock which serves as a storage organ which provides resources for groth in the spring. Also, it uses this for regrowth if the aboveground shoot is cut or damage. Purple loosestrife is found in all of the mainland U.S. except for the state of Florida. These plants have been invading wetlands and destroying the habitats for other plants and animals, they alos elimate natural sources of food and water. As of right now, there is no effective method to control these plants, but you can uproot them by hand though this method is not very effective. Also, mowing, cutting, burning, and herbicide application can be used but are costly and do not work 100 percent of the time.
"Bamboo Info." American Bamboo Society. 2010. http://www.bamboo.org/bamboo-info.php.
"Lewis Bamboo." 3 Dec 2002. 2002-2012. http://www.lewisbamboo.com/.
"Purple Loosestrife." Dr. Bernd Blossery. 2002.
C.Fancher
ReplyDeleteDoes Bamboo have any medical uses?
J.Fischer
DeleteChinese medicine has used bamboo to treat infections, fevers, resolve phlegm, and relieve lung inflammation. Also, it's used as a tonic that helps alleviate symptoms of respiratory diseases and is a good low-calorie source of potassium.
H. Willoughby
ReplyDeleteIs there a reason purple loosestrife isnt found in florida?
J.Fischer
DeletePurple loosestrife is not found in Florida because, as stated above, it is mostly found in wetlands which have damp, fertile soil, whereas in Floida the soil is mostly sand and not very wet so the purple loosestrifes cannot grow in Florida.
Mrs. Hauck - Why do bamboos take so long to flower?
ReplyDeleteJ.Fischer
DeleteBamboos take so long to flower because there is a lot of energy that goes into producing flowers. In the seldom chance that you were to see a bamboo flower, it would most likely die shortly after because it wouldn't have enough energy to recover.
A. Iker
ReplyDeleteis the loosestrife found an any other places besides swamps?
J.Fischer
DeleteThe purple loosestrife is also found in other damp or wet areas such as riverbanks and next to ponds and lakes.
Z.mullins
ReplyDeleteHave you ever ate bamboo.
J.Fischer
DeleteI cannot say that I have ever eaten bamboo personally, but every time I go to the zoo or China I always see pandas eating a ton of bamboo, so I would say that it probably rather tasty and next time I get ahold of some I may just have to try it.
R.Sharp
ReplyDeleteSome people get Bamboo flooring because it does not scratch as easy as other types of wood. They also have very pretty types of bamboo flooring. But the problem is it's much more expensive than other types of flooring.
J.Fischer
DeletePeople may also get bamboo flooring or other bamboo-made things because it grows much faster than trees, so it prevents deforestation and helps the environment.
T.Murray- Why does it take so long for bamboo to flower?
ReplyDeleteJ.Fischer
DeleteSee above reply to same question.
Z. Carter
ReplyDeleteWhy does the bamboo grow so fast?
J.Fischer
DeleteBamboo grows so fast because it is a grass, and the grass family encompasses some of the fastest growing plants in the world.
A.IDing
ReplyDeletecan it grown in ohio, the bamboo?
J.Fischer
DeleteBamboo can be grown in Ohio, but it is not native to Ohio. (p.s. Next time you ask a question try to have it make more sense.)
T.Colwell
ReplyDeleteWhat is Dysentary? What effects does it have?
J.Fischer
DeleteDysentery is an infection of the intestines resulting in severe diarrhea with the presence of blood and mucus in the feces.
D. Torok
ReplyDeleteIf bamboo is a much better alternative to wood and it grows faster, why isn't it used more often to build?
J.Fischer
DeleteEven though bamboo grows much faster than trees it's more expensive than buying wood because it's not commonly found in the U.S., and it would take more bamboo than trees to build a building. Also, people may not be aware that bamboo grows faster than trees.
S. Tumbleson
ReplyDeleteHow would the Purple Loosestrife help with illnesses and wounds? Is there an oil like substance on it?
J.Fischer
DeletePurple loosestrife contains astringent chemicals called tannins and salicarin. Astringent chemicals might help reduce diarrhea and inflammation. Salicarin may also help fight "bugs," or bacteria, in the intestines.
A.Hardin
ReplyDeleteDoes the Loosestrife have any medical uses?
J.Fischer
DeleteIt can be used as a medicinal herb for treatment of diarrihea, dysentery, bleeding, wounds, ulcers, and sores. (if you would have read the blog you would have seen this same sentence)
T. Atkins
ReplyDeleteWill the bamboo grow in Ohio?
J.Fischer
DeleteSee above reply to same question.
M. McKee
ReplyDeleteWhy does bamboo grow so fast but flower so slow?
J.Fischer
DeleteSee above replies to same questions.
S.Sanders
ReplyDeletewhere or what does your bad plant invade?
J.Fischer
ReplyDeleteThe purple loosestrife invades wetlands, where the soil is damp and fertile, and they take over everything in the wetlands which does not allow any other plants to grow.