Green Paws University Students use Groasis Waterboxx to Save Water in the Garden, Parvatibai Chowgule College of Arts & Science, India

1. GREEN PAWS..
...Adding Life to Life Sciences...
AUGUST 2010 BOTANY DEAPATMENT NEWSLETTER ISSUE 2: VOL 3
GREEN PAWS BOTANY DEAPATMENT NEWSLETTER PAGE 4
QUIZ TIME
Here is a tree quiz. So, put on your thinking caps and
climb to the top.
1. Gods and Goddesses love to bathe in the water of
my fruits. I am a tall and stately tree. Even a full moon
day is named after me. Who am I?
2. I am a small tree, but my leaves are in big demand
during Dussehra. They are equal to gold. Who am I?
3. Lord Shiva loves my seeds, so do the sadhus and
saints, who am I?
4. Grind, grind, grind! I rub myself to death to provide
everyone with perfume. My wood is precious and you
can also smell it in soaps, oils and powder. Who am I?
5. Devi Sita spent her days in Lanka, seated in my
grove. Who am I?
6. Before the advent of paper, my leaves served as
writing material. A hint, I also give ‘niva’ to drink,
‘nungoo’ to eat, wood to build and leafy fans as well.
Who am I?
7. My nuts are used on all festive occasions. I am tall.
Who am I?
8. My flowers are small, star-shaped, brown coloured
and richly perfumed. Garlands of my flowers are sought
for poojas. I’m found in many temples and even men-
tioned in Sanskrit literature. Who am I?
9. Lord Krishna is often depicted in paintings as stand-
ing under me. When I’m in full bloom, my flowers
look like golden balls. Who am I?
10. Lord Dhanvantri, the doctor among Gods, is por-
trayed holding my fruit in the palm of his hand. My
fruit by the way, is considered as a panacea for all hu-
man ailments. My fruits are part of the well-known
medicine ‘triphala’. Who am I?
INNOVATIVE ASSIGNMENT FOR SYBSc
S.Y. BSc Botany students were assessed for their Se-
mester III, Paper V, ISA II examination in a different
way.They were given experimental assignment in phys-
iology. A group of 5-6 students designed and set up an
experiment and compiled the observation/results with
appropriate interpretation and conclusions. According
to Dr. Sankhalkar, teacher incharge for this assign-
ment, the whole idea of such an exercise was to make
student think in an innovative manner. Plan and set an
experiemnt, work in a team and learn about the physi-
ological concept with practical hand on experience.
CAMPUS WATER
ANALYSIS
An activity was conduct-
ed to test the water qual-
ity of the college campus.
Different water samples
from canteen filter, tap
water, well water and
bore well water of the
college campus were col-
lected for the analysis of
pH, total hardness, dis-
solved oxygen and carbon
dioxide. The results of the
analysis were as follows:
Maximum oxygen and
CO2
was found in can-
teen filter sample, while
the well water had maxi-
mum hardness. The pH of
borewell was maximum.
This activity was carried
out under the guidance of
Dr. Divakar Mesta by the
followingSYBScstudents
1)Aloisha Lobo
2)Rizma Gomes
3)Afshan Shaikh
4)Venkat Bhujle
Students conducting experiments
CONTENTS
1.Innovative Assign-
ment...pg.1
2.Campus Water Analy-
sis...pg.1
3. Herbal Garden...pg. 1
4.Groasis Waterboxx...
pg.2
5.My New Book...pg.2
6.The Miracle of the
Earth...pg.2
7.Note on Horticulture....
pg.3
8.Quiz Time...pg.4
9.Did You Know...pg.4
10.Editorial board...pg.4Compiled by: Bhargavi Bhat F.Y.B.Sc
DID YOU KNOW?
1. The banana plant with
more than five hundred
varieties in different parts
of the world, is the larg-
est plant in the world
which does not have
a stem made of wood.
2. Strawberry is the only
fruit with the seeds on the
skin. A strawberry on an
average has 200 seeds.
3.Giantbambooplantscan
grow up to 9 inches a day.
4. One out of 4 ingredi-
ents in our medicine is
from the rainforest plants.
5. Saffron is the most pre-
cious and expensive spice
in the world. It comes
from the dried stigmas
of the saffron flower,
Crocus sativus Linneaus.
6. Apple seeds contain a
small quantity of cyanide
which renders the seeds
quite bit-
tertasting.
Compiled
by:
Sheron Vaz,
SYBSc
EDITORIAL BOARD
Dr. Divakar K. Mesta
Miss Rizma Gomes SYBSc
Mr. Cyril SYBSc
The opinion and news appear-
ing herein are those of the edi-
tor and not necessarily those of
the Principal or the Management.
Contact us:
greenpaws@chowgules.ac.in
By: Rizma Gomes SYBSc
HERBAL GARDEN
The department has
initiated the estab-
lishment of a herbal
garden in the campus,
undertheleadershipof
Dr. Divakar K. Mes-
ta. Presently about
80 different types of
plants have been col-
lected and maintained near the shade house.
Regional Medical Research Centre, ICMR,
Belgaum has given about 40 species of plants
free of cost. It includes some commercially im-
portant as well as redlisted medicinal plants.
Answers:
1.Coconut(Cocosnucifera)2.Bauhinia
tomentosa3.Rudraksh4.Sandalwood
5.Saracaasoca6.Borasuspalm
7.Arecanut8.Mimusopselangi(Owli)
9.Kadamba10.Harda(Terminalichebula)

2. GREEN PAWS BOTANY DEAPATMENT NEWSLETTER PAGE 3GREEN PAWS BOTANY DEAPATMENT NEWSLETTER PAGE 2
MY NEW BOOK
There once was a tree
Much smaller than me
It's now much older than me
That once little tree
There it goes reaching above me
Up to the sky
There once was a tree
Much taller than me
It's cut down now you see
''Poor old tree'', ''poor old tree''
What have they done to you?
I'm gonna have a look
Oops oh dear I'm writing on you
''You’re now my new book''
Compiled by:
Sneya Fernandes
SYBSc
NOTE ON HORTICULTURE
AND FLORISTRY COURSE
Have you heard anything about Add-on
course in Horticulture and Floristry? It is be-
ing offered by Botany Department of our Col-
lege and I would like to tell you more about it.
Dr. Uma Masur introduced us to this course
which excited me and I was more curi-
ous to know about it. So I joined the course.
It was a one year course which was taught by our ex-
perienced teachers like Dr.Uma Masur, Dr. Thangam
(ICAR), Dr. Priya Devi (ICAR), Miss. Amisha Shi-
rodkar, Dr. Divakar Mesta, Dr. Soniya Fernandes, Dr.
Sanjay Gaikwad and Mrs. Ratna Naik (Lily and lilac).
The course taught us a lot of facts about landscaping,
gardening, maintaining the plants and about different
types of plants used in gardening. Lots of emphasis
was given on practical sessions wherein we got to de-
velop our skills in grafting procedures and flower ar-
rangement. We had special classes on Auto-cad and
Communication skills wherein we were taught to use
computer technology in garden layout, planning and
improving our communication skills. We also had an
opportunity to visit Bondla and see the different pat-
tern of the garden, lawn maintenance and we also did
identification of different plants that could be used for
different type of garden-
ing. I learnt a lot from this
course what about you?
By: Afshan SYBSc
GROASIS WATERBOXX
Groasis Waterboxx is a device which cap-
tures rainwater and condensation in the air and
helps the plant to grow in even the most arid
region like deserts. It has been discovered and
developed by a Dutch inventor Pieter Hoff
through his company 'AquaPro' from Holland.
It is a round container or device 20 inches in
diameter and 10 inches in height, crafted from
p o l y p r o -
pylene. An
opening at
the center
of the box
provides a
space for
a plant or
tree to ger-
minate and
grow. Top of the box is pitted with a water col-
lection sheets that makes the rain water and
condensation to percolate into the collection
tank. Rainwater and condensation collect in the
box’s chamber, where water gets trapped avoid-
ing loss by evaporation. From this tank, through
a small hole beneath the box, a wick goes into
the ground, slowly dripping water to the plant’s
root system every day. As the plant grows, its
roots reach deeper and deeper in the ground,
eventually finding their
own water source.
Once this happens, the
box can be removed
and used again to grow
another plant or tree.
-Sneya Luis TYBSc
http://www.groasis.com
Groasis Waterboxx
The miracle...
popular medicinal plant
being used as a blood
purifier in diabetes,
jaundice etc. We use
plants for making fur-
niture, building houses.
Even the dry leaves are
also being put up in
use. These are the very
common uses of plants.
Why I said that it is a
miracle of the earth be-
cause plants maintain the
global climate. They not
only keep the atmosphere
cool, but also help in
generating clouds. Plants
hold large amount of car-
bon dioxide and release
oxygen. By breaking the
speed of water and wind,
plants prevent soil ero-
sion. Economically rub-
ber, gum, resin, latex,
camphor can be obtained
from the plants Each and
every beauty of earth is the plant. It provides food, dif-
ferent types of fruits to animal and human beings. It
bears different coloured flowers
which makes the world beauti-
ful. So we can now say that the
plant is a miracle of the earth.
THE MIRACLE
OF THE EARTH
Hi! Friends do you know what
is the miracle of the earth? Yes,
it’s the plant. We know that there
are number of plants on our earth.
Each plant has a unique char-
acter. In our ancient science i.e.
Ayurvedic plants are being used
formedicinalpurpose.Like‘neem’
(Azadirachta indica) used for
blood purifying so also in skin dis-
eases and in healing wounds.Amla
(Emblica officinalis) is also a very,
...Continued on page 3 By: Amarja P. Naik FYBSc
(Source:www.poemhunter.com)
Insectivorus
Plant
Drosera
burmannii Vahl.
Family: Droseraceae