caltiva
caltiva

caltiva

@caltiva

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Purple Grapes
Purple Grapes in glass. | | The domestication of purple grapes originated in what is now southern Turkey. | | Yeast, one of the earliest domesticated microorganisms, occurs naturally on the skins of grapes, leading to the innovation of alcoholic drinks such as wine. Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics record the cultivation of purple grapes, and history attests to the ancient Greeks, Phoenicians and Romans growing purple grapes for both eating and wine production. Later, the growing of grapes spread to Europe, North Africa, and eventually North America
purple grapes grape

Purple Grapes

Sian Ka'an (Heaven's Door)
Sian Ka'an (Heaven's Door). | | Sian Ka'an is a NGO biosphere reserve formed by a group of conservationists in the municipality of Tulum in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, whose mission is the conservation of the biodiversity. It has been a Mexican national park since 1986 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. | | With the participation of scientists, technicians, students, fishermen, farmers, rural promotors and administrators, together with regional and international partners, have successfully carried out more than 200 conservation projects basing all conservation actions on scientific and technical information for planning and implementing environmental policies and the proposal of viable solutions for sustainable use of natural resources and focusing their efforts established within eight protected natural areas that include the reefs of Banco Chinchorro, and Xcalak at South of Quintana Roo, Sian Ka'an Bisophere Reserve, Cancun, the island of Cozumel that is located in front of Xcaret and Contoy Island up North, covering 780,000 acres (3,200 km²). | | Part of the reserve is on land and part is in the Caribbean Sea, including a section of coral reef. The reserve has an area of 5,280 km²
Sian Kaan Quintana

Sian Ka'an (Heaven's Door)

Red Grapes
Red Grapes in glass. | | The pigments in red, purple and black grapes protect the cardiovascular system by a number of mechanisms that include the suppression of blood clots, inhibition of LDL cholesterol oxidation, reduced homocysteine levels, and anti-atherosclerotic properties. Grapes stimulate endothelial nitric oxide production which induces relaxation of the blood vessel walls, and a reduction in blood pressure levels. Recently, it was shown that a Concord grape extract lowered LDL cholesterol, raised HDL cholesterol, and decreased plasma inflammatory biomarkers. | | Resveratrol (3,5,4'-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene), a dietary constituent found in grapes exerts a wide variety of pharmacological activities. Resveratrol is as an effective agent for cancer chemoprevention due its ability to block many steps in the carcinogenesis process. Resveratrol contained in red grapes and berries has been shown to inhibit prostate cancer cell growth, induce apoptosis, influence interleukin-6, and exert immuno-modulatory effect on mouse lymphocytic leukemia. One of the possible mechanisms for the protective activity of resveratrol is by down regulation of inflammatory responses. Resveratrol also inhibits the nuclear transcription factor, NFkappaB. | | I hope to contribute something useful for all the proud members in the SXC community
red grapes grape

Red Grapes

St. Lucy
Saint Lucy (283-304), also known as Saint Lucia, was a wealthy young Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint by Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Orthodox Christians. | | Her feast day in the West is 13 December; with a name derived from lux, lucis "light", she is the patron saint of those who are blind. | | Saint Lucy is one of the very few saints celebrated by members of the Lutheran Church among the Scandinavian peoples, who take part in Saint Lucy's Day celebrations that retain many elements of Germanic paganism. Saint Lucy is one of seven women, aside from the Blessed Virgin Mary, commemorated by name in the Canon of the Mass. | | Hagiography tells us that Lucy was a Christian during the Diocletian persecution. She consecrated her virginity to God, refused to marry a pagan, and had her dowry distributed to the poor. Her would-be husband denounced her as a Christian to the governor of Syracuse, Sicily. Miraculously unable to move her or burn her, the guards took out her eyes with a fork. In another version, Lucy's would-be husband admired her eyes, so she tore them out and gave them to him, saying, "Now let me live to God". | | + We hope to contribute something useful for all the proud members in the SXC community
Lucy Saint Lucy

St. Lucy

Bougainvillea
Bougainvillea is a genus of flowering plants native to South America from Brazil west to Peru and south to southern Argentina (Chubut Province). Different authors accept between four and 18 species in the genus. The plant was classified by Europeans in Brazil in 1768, by Philibert Commerçon, a French botanist accompanying French Navy admiral and explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville during his voyage of circumnavigation. | | They are thorny, woody vines growing anywhere from 1-12 meters tall, scrambling over other plants with their spiky thorns. The thorns are tipped with a black, waxy substance. They are evergreen where rainfall occurs all year, or deciduous if there is a dry season. The leaves are alternate, simple ovate-acuminate, 4-13 cm long and 2-6 cm broad. The actual flower of the plant is small and generally white, but each cluster of three flowers is surrounded by three or six bracts with the bright colors associated with the plant, including pink, magenta, purple, red, orange, white, or yellow. Bougainvillea glabra is sometimes referred to as "paper flower" because the bracts are thin and papery. The fruit is a narrow five-lobed achene. | | Bougainvillea are relatively pest-free plants, but may suffer from worms, snails and aphids. The larvae of some Lepidoptera species also use them as food plants, for example the Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia)
Bougainvillea bugambilia buganbilia

Bougainvillea

Canna tuerckheimii (flowers and seeds)
Canna tuerckheimii Kraenzl. is a species of the Canna genus, belonging to the family Cannaceae. Native of Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, México, Nicaragua, Panamá, Colombia and Ecuador at altitudes of 500-2,000m (1,600 - 6,500ft). | | Johnson's Dictionary of 1856 reports that it first entered England in 1820 as Canna latifolia, meaning 'broad-leaved'. | | It is a perennial growing to 4-5m. It is hardy to zone 10 and is frost tender. In the north latitudes it is in flower from August to October, and the early seeds ripen in October. | | The flowers are hermaphrodite
Canna tuerckheimii canna

Canna tuerckheimii (flowers and seeds)