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| Leaves |
May 18, 2003.
By Professor Fabio Cupul
University of Guadalajara Puerto Vallarta Campus
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Leaves are biological structures
that are very important to the survival of plants. They
are the instruments responsible for collecting the carbon
dioxide from the surrounding environment and transforming
it, with the help of solar energy, into food products
with high energy content. Essentially, leaves have the
power to give life to the plant and to the organisms
that may feed on them.
In any simple leaf, we can see the
different parts: the petiole which is none other than
the part of the leaf that joins it to the branch, a
part which may be lacking sometimes or be very tiny
in size. The other part is the lamina (sheet), also
called limb. That is the flat part, and there we can
see the edges, the tip, the base, the upper surface
and the underside. The limb usually shows a vascular
network or nerves that serve to transport the food and
waste materials between the leaves and the rest of the
plant.
However, this time we shall not focus
on the physiological aspects of leaves, but rather on
their importance within the mythological, magical, medical
and technological realms of various cultures around
the world.
To mention one interesting example
in nature, it is believed that pandas, so famous in
Mexico since the arrival of Pe Pe and Ying Ying, Tohui’s
parents, feed nearly exclusively on bamboo leaves, despite
the fact that scientists have classified them as being
carnivores.
Also, it is not a well-known fact
that American inventor and scientist Thomas Alva Edison
experimented successfully with bamboo filaments inside
of incandescent light bulbs. In fact, the bamboo filament
light bulbs were still manufactured at the end of the
1910’s.
Leaves from different species of
lemon trees, that originated in Asia, have been used
throughout time to enhance perfumes. But it was not
only their aromatic essence that has served to enhance
part of human beauty, we know that the ladies of King
Louis XIV’s court used to bite into lemons to
redden their lips and make them more attractive.
In Australia, eucalyptus plays an
important role in folk medicine. When inhaled, the vapors
released by leaves placed in a recipient filled with
hot water are an efficient remedy against diphtheria.
Also, it is believed that inhaling the smoke of eucalyptus
leaves rolled into a cigarette reduces asthma and helps
dissipate the symptoms of colds and bronchitis. In addition,
the curative qualities of the leaves are also of great
value to barn animals and household pets because the
oil contained in the leaves is administered to fight
the flu in horses, distemper in dogs, as well as parasites
and skin infections in nearly any animal.
One of the most common plants to
be found in the Puerto Vallarta and the Bay of Banderas
region is the strangler fig, also known as Ficus. Its
common names derives from its ability to develop and
grow in the shelter of another plant (often a palm tree)
which, with the passing of time, ends up suffocating
and dying because of its great embrace.
In eastern Asia, the strangler fig
is the symbol of fertility and propagation, so much
so that some plants are sown around houses in order
to create a fertile ambience. On the other hand, an
ancient Greek superstition stated that the way for a
priest to capture and dominate a wild bull to bring
it to the altar as a sacrifice was to wrap a branch
of strangler fig around its neck and it would take care
of accomplishing the ritual sacrifice.
Finally, a beautiful Mexican legend
tells of a little boy who was very sad because he had
nothing to bring as a gift for the Baby Jesus placed
in the nativity scene at the church. Distressed, the
little boy left the church and began to pray. Miraculously,
a beautiful flower with red leaves in the shape of a
star appeared, in answer to his prayers. The grateful
child quickly grabbed the plant and offered it proudly
to the Baby Jesus.
Due to the fact that the red “petals”
of the flower (which are not petals technically, but
rather parts of the leaves called bracteas) recall the
shape of the Star of Bethlehem, the plant is called
“Flor de Nochebuena” (the Christmas Eve
flower) in Spanish, though it is known as poinsettia
in English.
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