An Explanation Of The Cat’s Whiskers, Benefits For Health, and How To Cultivate Cat Whiskers

Cat whiskers explanation:

Nama ilmiah : Orthosiphon aristatus

Spesies : O. aristatus

Klasifikasi lebih tinggi : Orthosiphon

Divisi : Spermatophyta

Kerajaan : Plantae

Ordo : Lamiales

Plants Cats Whisker is the name of the kitchen plant life, the world of plants known as  Orthosiphon is a plant in the family Lamiaceae / Labiatae. The plant is one of the cat's whiskers plant used as a medicinal plant to treat various diseases.

Plants Mustache cat known in various terms such as Kidney Tea Plants / Java Tea (UK), Giri-giri marah (Sumatra), remujung (Central Java and East Java) and Songot Koneng (Madura).

Plants Mustache cat itself comes from tropical Africa, and then spread to Asia and Australia.

Plants Mustache cat is a herb plants upright, rooted to the bottom of the books and up to 2 meters. Quadrangular stems somewhat grooved short haired or bald. Leaves round or lojong, lancet, round or rhombus egg that starts from stem, leaf size 1 long - 10cm and a width of 7.5mm - 1.5cm. Leaf veins along the edge of a thin hairy or bald, where both surface mottled because of the massive number of glands, petiole length 7 - 29cm. Characteristic plants are located at the berkelenjar petals, veins and base short haired and rarely while in the upper part bare. Flowers lips, the crown that is terminal in the form of munitions out of the tips of the branches with a length of 7-29 cm, with a length of 13 - 27mm, at the top is covered by short hair purple and then to white, tube length 10 - 18mm, length lip 4.5 - 10mm, flower strands blunt, round. Stamens longer than the tube size and the interest rate exceeds the upper lip. Geluk fruits are dark brown, length 1.75 - 2mm. 2.3. short and sparsely hairy butt, long 1 mm to 6 mm.

As described above, including the cat's whiskers plant medicinal plants. Part of dried leaves can be used as a drug to expedite expenditure of urine (diuretic), rheumatism, gout, cough, colds, constipation, kidney inflammation, kidney stones, diabetes, albuminuria, syphilis. Plants cat whiskers can also be used to lower blood glucose levels. Plants other than cats whiskers are diuretics are also used as an antibacterial.

For the cat's whiskers can grow plants require approximately rainfall over 3,000 mm per year, the plant does not need a cat's whiskers shelter, the cat's whiskers plant shade will only result in reduced levels of leaf extract. Plants Mustache cat needs heat to medium temperature for growth.

In planting whiskers, and only requires Latosol Andosol soil, loose soil and contains a lot of humus / organic matter to the system needs sufficient water and air. Plants can grow whiskers cat at an altitude of 500 m - 1,200 m above sea level.

In the cat's whiskers plant growth, which is the only obstacle aphids and caterpillars. Plants can be attacked by cats whiskers disease, the cause fungus Upas (Upsia salmonicolor / Corticium salmonicolor) fungus attacked the plant was part trunk or branch of a woody plant. Just simply structuring water, pay attention to hygiene garden, cutting diseased, and can also by spraying pesticides. Weeds growing in the fields planting whiskers varied, such as puzzle grass, lulangan, Ageratum, reeds and other grasses.

In an effort to control pests / diseases should be actively integrated over. For weed control is recommended to be performed manually by means of weeding as described above. But if necessary can also be done spraying insecticides and pesticides. In the pest control pesticide plant can use.

Examples of botanical pesticides:

• Tuba (Derris elliptica and Derris malaccensis) 

Tuba containing rotenone to contact insecticide formulated in the form of blowing and spray.

• Piretrum (Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium)

Piretrum containing pyrethrin can be used as a systemic insecticide that attacks the nerve center of the application by spray. Applications on insects such as houseflies, mosquitoes, fleas, pests warehouses, and fruit flies.

• Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum)

Tobacco contains nicotine for a contact insecticide fumigant or stomach poison. Applications for small insects such as Aphids.

• Jeringau (Acorus Calamus)

It provides part used as a pesticide plant is a rhizome contains the main components asaron and usually used to poison insects and fungi exterminator and pest Callosobrocus warehouse.

• Jicama (Pachyrrhizus erosus)

Part yam that is used as a pesticide plant seeds contain rotenoid the pakhirizida that can be used as an insecticide and larvacide.

• Neem tree or neem (Azadirachta indica)

Neem / azadirachtin containing Neem Tree which works quite selective. Applications are particularly toxic to insects such as leafhoppers and insect pests chewers like leaf roller (Cnaphalocrocis medinalis). This material is also effective to overcome a virus attack RSV, GSV and Tungro.

The benefits of the cat's whiskers plant and how to process it:

1. Cure Urinary Tract Infection

Cat whiskers are useful for cleaning tracts. So that the benefits of cat whiskers are very effective in fighting infection. A person with a UTI or Urinary Tract Infection is usually advised to consume boiled water from cat whiskers.

2. Treating Kidney Disorders

Cat's whiskers are also popularly referred to as kidney plants. In Java, the benefits of cat whiskers are well known, one of which is treating kidney disorders. Reportedly cat whiskers can remove kidney stones up to 5 cm in size.

3. Overcome Rheumatism

Rheumatism is a disease that causes pain when muscles or joints become inflamed or swollen. How to process cat whiskers leaves as medicine is quite easy.

The first step, prepare 5 pieces of cat whiskers and boil them in 3 cups of water. After that, wait until it is cold and ready to drink.

The recommended dose is to drink 3 times a day as much as half a glass each drink.

4. Relieves Cough

It turns out that the benefits of cat whiskers are very much, one of which is to relieve coughs. The way to process cat whiskers to relieve cough is to prepare 15-20 grams plus 1 glass of water. Boil and drink the water 3 times a day, the dose is one glass.

5. Treating Swollen Gums

When a person is suffering from bleeding gum disease, it can be done by gargling. So that if you want to reduce swollen gums, it can make it easier to overcome swollen gums.

6. Controlling Blood Sugar Levels

Someone with diabetes can get the benefits of cat whiskers. The content of cat whiskers can be useful and is proven to control blood sugar in the body.

7. Lowering High Blood Pressure

The content in cat whiskers can help reduce high blood pressure. Reportedly, the existing antioxidants and anti-inflammatory substances in cat whiskers are very good for people with high blood pressure. A chemical called methylripariochromene can reduce systolic blood pressure in mice, which is likely to affect human blood pressure as well.

8. Reducing Itching Due to Allergies

When the body is itching due to allergies, one way to deal with it is by consuming cat whiskers. How to process cat whiskers can be by boiling half a handful of cat whiskers together with meniran and sambiloto. Coupled with 4 glasses of water and 2 fingers of ginger then boil until boiling.

Strain the dregs and this herbal herbal medicine can be taken twice a day to reduce itching due to allergies.

9. Helping the Detoxification Process

The next benefit of cat whiskers is to help the body's detoxification process. Cat whiskers can help flush toxins from the body. This herbal drink can also be combined with other spices such as ginger.

10. Anti Fungus

The content of cat whiskers is not only antioxidants, but anti-fungal substances that can prevent parasites and other salty substances in the body. The benefits of cat whiskers can also be obtained by sufferers of fungal infections who are already inflamed.

How to cultivate cat whiskers:

1. Land preparation 

The land that will be used for cat whiskers cultivation is cultivated by hoeing the ground as deep as 20 cm, then making beds with a width of 1-1.5 m, a height of 30 cm and a length according to land conditions.

2. Preparation of seeds 

Propagation of cat's whiskers is done by using stem cuttings. The cuttings are taken from 2-3 not too young segments of the stem, 25-30 cm long.

3. Planting 

Seedlings to be planted in the field are selected with good and uniform growth. Seedlings are planted in the prepared planting holes, as many as 1-3 seeds per planting hole. Then the planting hole is closed with the excavated soil of the planting hole and poured enough water.

4. Maintenance 

Fertilization of the cat's whiskers can be done once every 3 months using manure at a dose of 0.5 - 1 kg / plant. Artificial fertilizers that can be given are urea 175 kg / ha, TSP 100 kg / ha and KCl 100 kg / ha given at planting.

5. Harvest and Postharvest 

Harvest can be done after the plants are 3 months old. The next harvest can be done 4-5 months. Leaf picking that has the best quality and productivity is 6 pairs of leaves from the shoot.

Thanks for reading and hope it's useful.

Nama : Reza Ashara

Kelas : X OTKP 2