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Oryza sativa
Paddy
'Paddy' is one of the most
important crops of the world. It is cultivated throughout India. It is kept in the genus Oryza
under the grass family 'Poaceae'. The plant is an annual, which usually grows to a height of 2
- 6'. The inflorescence is a panicle. Grains of paddy are of various textures, colour, size
and shape. Paddy grain is highly nutritive. It is rich in starch but has a low content of
protein. It also contains fat, minerals and vitamins. The paddy is economically kept
under the Cereals, which is consumed by about 95% of people, of the world. The husk is used to
extract the oil known as 'bran oil'. The husk and rice polish is good for stock feeding; the
straw is used in the making of hats. More than twenty varieties of paddy grains are kept on
display in the Economic Botany Gallery.
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Cereals
The term 'Millet', is applied to a large
number of cereals and forage grasses, the seeds of which are usually small when compared with
other cereals such as wheat, barley and oat. It has been estimated, however that fully one
third of the world's inhabitants use millets as a regular article of food.
'Pulses' are most important, next to
cereals as a source of human food. Pulses contain more protein than any other vegetable
products. They also contain carbohydrates, fat and minerals. All pulses belong to the same
family Leguminosae. The fruit is a 'legume'.
Panicum milliaceum
(Proso millet)
This small millet is easily recognised by its bright green foliage.
It is introduced originally from Egypt (or) Arabia, but its cultivation in India probably
dates from a very early period. It belongs to the family 'Poaceae'. The grain is considered to
be nutritious, and in many places is eaten raw. This millet in the green state affords
excellent fodder for cattle and horses. It is displayed in the Cereals show-case of the
Economic Botany Gallery.
Dolichos biflorus
(Horse gram)
A Sub-erect annual, and more (or) less twining plant, occurs
in Himalaya to Ceylon and distributed everywhere in the tropics of the old world. It belongs
to the family 'Fabaceae'.
Although not deemed a superior pulse, it is largely eaten by
the poorer classes, either after being boiled (or) in the form of meal variously prepared. |
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Oils
Oils are classified under five important
heads. 1. Volatile oils, 2. Drying oils, 3. Semi-drying oils, 4. Non-drying oils and 5.
Vegetable fats.
Volatile oils will evaporate on exposure
to air. Lemon grass oil is an example for this. They are usually prepared by the process of
distillation in steam. They are used in perfumery and as flavouring agents. The other four
types of oils are obtained by 1. Expression when the material is crushed in a press and the
oil is squeezed out. 2. By extraction when the oil is dissolved by suitable solvent. Oils are
used in cooking, medicine, manufacture of soaps, paints etc.
Helianthus annus
(Sunflower)
'Sunflower', is extensively cultivated for oil in the
temperate regions of the world. It belongs to the family 'Asteraceae'. The plant is a coarse,
tall, annual and the woody stem is covered with rough hairs. The inflorescence is 'capitulum'
which is usually terminal. The oil is extracted from seeds and it is an example of semi-drying
oil. The oil contain 55 to 66 % of linolenic acid and 25 to 30 % of oleic acid, which is used
as a cooking medium and in the manufacture of paints, varnish, soap and cosmetics.
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Economic
Botany