THE NEPENTHES MIRABILIS

This is a  well known medicinal plant used by the natives of Sarawak. A small climbing pitcher plant that seems happy in both open areas and secondary jungle. Leaves are oblongish, the leaf stalks are grooved and winged, the margins are hairy. Its young shoots are covered in reddish hairs.

The Ibans use a decoction of the stem, root and leaves which is drunk to treat blood in stool. Tea is made out of the leaves to treat painful urination. Paste of the young shoots are used to treat snakebites. Juice from the stem is taken for food poisoning and water from the young pitchers (with lids still closed) is given to children to treat cough. In the Bidayuh people the sap from the stem is consumed to treat hangovers.

POKOK SAMBUNG NYAWA

Finally we just managed to get some cuttings of Pokok Sambung Nyawa (Gynura procumbens Merr) which is a herb native of South East Asia and is herbaceous climber of forest margins and thickets. The leaves serve in Malay culture as a flavoring for food, and also widely used for treatment of: kidney diseases, rashes, throat infection, high fever and as a antihypertensive agent. It has been reported that an ethanolic extract of this herb significantly reduces serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels of diabetic rats. There have also been studies done here.

It supposedly can be used to stop bleeding, overcome menstrual cycle problems and  improves the kidney function.As a matter of interest we found the leaves eaten raw taste pretty good.

THE ULAM RAJA HERB

Sometimes when there is nothing because you were just too busy or lazy to eat there is always the herb garden to raid. One favorite is the Ulam Raja, eaten raw with some belacan , a couple of chillies and some salted fish not forgetting the hot rice. Eat the leaves mind you, not the tasteless flowers which don’t taste that great.