Tapak Dara

Tapak Dara
Annual small shrub, originating from Central America. Grows well start from the lowlands to an altitude of 800 meters above sea level. This plant likes places that are open, but not close the possibility can grow in a somewhat sheltered as well. Habitus shrubs grow sideways, plant height could reach 0.2 to 1 meter. Oval-shaped leaves, green, pinnate arranged alternating. Leaves about 2-6 cm long, 1-3 cm wide, and leaves a very short stalk. Stems and leaves contain a white latex.

The flowers axial (arising from axillary leaves). Petals small, shaped nails. Trumpet-shaped flower crown, tip broad, white, blue, pink or purple depending kultivarnya. The fruit-shaped gilig (cylinder), tip pointed, hairy, a length of about 1.5 to 2.5 cm, and has many seeds.
Flowers and leaves are a potential source of drugs for leukemia and Hodgkin's disease. Content of chemical substances are vincristine, vinblastine, reserpine, ajmalicine, and serpentine. Other Ingredients catharanthine, leurosine, norharman, lochnerine, tetrahydroalstonine, vindoline, vindolinine, akuammine, vincamine, vinleurosin, and vinrosidin. Various alkaloids are toxic. The signs of poisoning vinca are fever, sluggish, and vomiting within 24 hours. Other signs are neuropathy, loss of tendon reflexes, hallucinations, coma, and death.

These plants are not resistant to pruning and can die of it. Vinca usually propagated by seeds are soft. How, provide the old seeds, and Seeding at a nursery place. Enter the seeds into the soil, then cover with a layer of thick-thin soil seeds. Diligent watering. When the seeds begin to grow, and the height has reached approximately 15-20 cm, generally can be moved to the desired place. If you want to be planted in pots, the pot would need to be prepared using the earnings and the media. Pot can be made of clay, cement, or tin cans. Media cropping a mixture of fertile soil, compost, and manure (2: 1: 1). Seedlings planted directly, and then placed in the shade. A week later, placed in the open.
If you want to be planted in the garden courtyard, the ground needs to be made a hole measuring 15 x 151 x 15 cm, the distance between holes 50 cm. Each hole is given manure or compost as much as 1.5 kg. Enter the seedling into the hole, then fill with soil, and flush.

For maintenance, vinca not demand special treatment. Originally watered and fertilized, is sufficient. At the beginning of growth, use a high nitrogen content fertilizer, or fertilizer that is sprayed on the leaf lower surface of leaves in the morning. Then, when the plant starts to flower, to stimulate flowering, can be used a fertilizer that has a high phosphorus content. Well, if diligent care, would be guaranteed vinca will bloom throughout the year.

Data from: wikipedia,org