Oyama Bonsai Kai Ombú “Tree”

1. Oyama Bonsai KaiOmbú“Tree” by Pierre van Rensburg PierreVanRensburg@gmail.com +2782 787 9071

2. Ombú “Tree”

3. Agenda • Information on the species (my research) • The story of my Ombú • Discussion

4. Scientific classification • Authority: L. • Family:Phytolaccaceae • Genus:Phytolacca (Phython = Greek for plant ) (Laccca is the Latin for dye made from the fruit) (plants from which juice is extracted for dyeing) A latinized form of the Amerindian word ‘laek’ (shellac) is from the colouring property of the fruit • Species: P. dioica (Dicotyledon = two embryonic leaves seed leaves called cotyledons) (Alludes to the fact male and female flowers occur on separate trees in this species) • Described by Carl Linnaeus in 1762 • It is an evergreen herb and is categorized in the same genus as the North American pokeweed

5. Names Synonyms • PhytolaccaarboreaMoq. • PhytolaccapopulifoliaSalisb. • PircuniadioicaMoq. • SarcocadioicaRafin. Common names • (English) : phytolacca • (Spanish) : bellasombra (beautiful shadows), belombra, Ombúes • (Trade name) : ombú, packalacca, umbú • (Afrikaans): Bobbejaandruifboom

6. Part of South American culture It is a symbol of the culture of Uruguayand Argentina, and the Gaucho(South American Cowboy) • Canopy is quite distinguishable from afarin the Pampas (grasslands) region

7. Part of the Culture • Known as the "Lighthouses" of the Pampas • The "tree" provides shade for gauchos and other people that are traveling through the grasslands. • Writer Luís Dominguez (1948) said: “If Buenos Aires owes its beauty to the great Pampas, then the Pampas owes its to the Ombú.”

8. Geographic distribution • Native: • Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela • Exotic • Australia, India, Kenya, South Africa, United Kingdom • Imported into southern Europe after the mid 18th century, where it became naturalized in regions with a Mediterranean climate.

9. Native Habitat • Native to the Pampas of South America • Fertile lowlands • Lots of wild fires • Trees are rare (grasslands) • It is the only tree-like plant that grows on the Pampas because it does not need a lot of water to survive

10. Native Habitat (continued) • In the Pampas • Only 10-30 inces rainfall pa in its natural habitat • Not enough to support a lot of trees • Droughts can occur in the grasslands • The Ombú does not need much water • Are widely spaced – often only tree-like speciesfor miles

12. General characteristics • Developed unique characteristics to survive • Arbo re scent plant • having the shape/characteristics of a tree • Massive spreading evergreen with an umbrella like canopy • Girth of up to 12 – 15m (40 to 50 feet) • Height can reach 12 – 18m (40 to 60 feet) • Because it is derived from herbaceous ancestors • it grows rapidly • Its wood is soft and spongy, “soft” enough to be cut with a knife • Often has multiple trunks • Can withstand temperatures as little as -4 degrees Celsius • It is covered with dark, glossy, green leaves • It has greenish-white flowers that grow in long clusters • These clusters droop from the weight of the crimson, ripe berries that develop from these flowers

14. Trunk • Massive, fire resistant trunks contains water storage tissue • an excellent adaptation for intense grassland fires which are common in this region • The "trees" have enlarged bases (up to 4m in diameter) in which they store water • Spreads above the ground so that the tree appears to be standing on a mound • Trunk and branches contain up to 80% water • Bark grey to pale brown, rough; becomes gnarled with age; young branches are fleshy green

16. Characteristics of trunks • Trunk consists of anomalous secondary thickening rather than true wood • development, arrangement, activity of the vascular cambium in most woody dicots tends to be very similar • there are some alternatives which produce new secondary tissues that do not follow a normal pattern • Of a single vascular cambium producing xylem to the inside and phloem to the outside. • the secondary plant structures that are formed are termed anomalous: • Anomalous means deviating from the general or common order or type and • Present in a limited number of families or genera • Most anomalous growth is associated with the formation of multiple cambia • Secondary growth = increase in diameter of roots, stems and branches • Primary growth = growth in length • Secondary growth occurs in dicots • The lack of rings in the trunk impossible to determine the age of a Ombúby looking at year rings

18. Leaves • Simple alternate, typical of the family, • appearing as terminal whorls (an arrangement of three or more leaves, petals, or other organs radiating from a single node) • smooth, oval, somewhat re-curved • Up to 15 cm in length • Margin edge appearing white, midrib extending to form a distinct tip • Very low flashpoint (dramatised in the movie “In Search of the Castaways”) - adaptation • Used as a laxative • Young leaves • fresh light-green, • leaf stalks and midribs tinged with red • Reduce well

20. Flowers • Small, creamy white • Many stamens arising from 5 green sepals hanging in handsome terminal catkins up to 15 cm in length • The generic epithet 'dioica' in the scientific name also alludes to the fact male and female flowers occur on separate trees • In flower the tree is striking

21. Fruit • Juicy, yellow to black berries • 10 lobes hanging in clusters • Irregularly produced after flowering • Each 3-7 mm • Small, shiny, grey-black seeds are found inside the soft fruits.

22. Cleaned seeds two embryonic seed leaves called cotyledons • The species shows “orthodox seed storage behaviour” • There are approximately 150 000 seeds/kg

23. Poisonous? • Sap is poisonous • not grazed by cattle and is • immune to locusts and other pests • Contains Phytolaccatoxinand phytolaccigenin • Poisonous to mammals if not cooked properly • Berries are eaten by birds • not affected by the toxin • small seeds with very hard outer shells remain intact in the digestive system and are eliminated whole

24. Antifungal potency • Antifungal activity of saponin-rich extracts of Phytolaccadioica and of the sapogenins obtained through hydrolysis • Its acid hydrolysate, and its major aglycone, phytolaccagenin, were assayed for antifungal activity against ATCC standard cultures of Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans, and against clinical isolates of these fungi • The activity of the extract was either low or negligible, but the hydrolysate, containing the sapogenins, including phytolaccagenin, and also pure phytolaccagenin, showed promising antifungal potency • Hydrolysis of a natural product extract is shown to be a useful modification leading to improved bioactivity

25. Products • Fodder: Leaves are used as fodder in times of drought • Medicine: The fruit has been used as a human emetic and (an infusion of the leaves act as a) purgative • Sometimes the leaves are used locally for a hot drink • Other products: The fruit contains a soapy juice composed of salts of lime and potash • P. dioica provides excellent shade in regions where other trees will not grow in places like Southern California

26. Suitable for Bonsai? • Can easily be manipulated to create the desired effect • “Easy” to carve with a knife • Leaves reduce well • Easy to grow • Reproduced by seeds • and cuttings

27. Soil and conditions • P. dioica will grow on a • variety of soil types and is • undemanding in soil fertility • Grows in rich peat • Lots of water from October to December • Lots of sun

28. Status in South America • One source says that “it's an endangered species and normally grows solitary”? Others classify it as a weed? • In two places in Uruguay large numbers are found together • Eastern Wetlands in Rocha Uruguay has the largest Ombú forest in the world • Some trees are estimated to be 500 years old • Declared by UNESCO in 1976 as a Biosphere Reserve • Bosque de Ombúes • With several hundreds of specimen • Visiting can only be done with small boats

29. Sold in shops in South America small flower stand in the streets of Buenos Aires

30. Status in South Africa - Invader • Category 3 declared plants (Section 15C of the amended act): • shall not occur on any land or inland water surface other than in a biological control reserve. However, plants already in existence at the time of commencement of these regulations (March 2001) may continue to exist, provided they are not within 30 metres of the 1:50 year flood line of a river, stream, lake or other type of inland water body. In addition, the "executive officer" can impose further conditions on Category 3 plants already in existence at the time these regulations were imposed, which might include removing them if the situation demands it. • must be controlled by the land user to curtail the spread of these plants. • may not be planted, established, maintained, multiplied or propagated. • may not be imported or sold. • may not be acquired. • can be exempted from the above regulations through written exemption from "the executive officer", provided there is a good reason for it.

31. Some English sources • http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/ombu.htm • http://www.bihrmann.com/caudiciforms/subs/phy-dio-sub.asp • http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-3215407/stock-photo-five-hundred-year-old-ombu-tree-with-hole-uruguay.html • http://m.flickr.com/#/photos/22006588@N08/4195286810/ • http://www.elcentrodelbonsai.com.ar/ • http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org/Sea/Products/AFDbases/AF/asp/SpeciesInfo.asp?SpID=1294 • http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YTEKjZhE54k/TU-EI3outUI/AAAAAAAAAG0/YUD0TZby7ls/s1600/1417341536_af30dd1e3b.jpg • http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytolacca_dioica • http://www.researchgate.net/publication/45826292_Antifungal_activity_of_saponin-rich_extracts_of_Phytolacca_dioica_and_of_the_sapogenins_obtained_through_hydrolysis • http://www.puntadeldiablo.com.uy/paseos-ombues.html • http://virtualplant.ru.ac.za/Main/ANATOMY/prac5.htm