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Thorny Emergency Poses Puncture Problem

March 24, 2010

What's Blooming

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Plant Information

Spines

 

Q. I came in contact with a cactus while working. I was punctured by it and need to know if I  should be concerned. Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

A. Yes, you should be concerned. Besides the formidable tissue damage that a spine entering  your body can do, puncture wounds from plant spines can cause other problems as well. Spines  such as those found on cactus, bougainvilleas, roses and other ‘armed’ plants can carry soil  born bacteria like tetanus etc. If your wound is deep (has gone past the skin ) you should  take the same precautions as you would any dirty puncture wound -see a doctor immediately or go  to an emergency room. Cactus-like plants with spines such as the Euphorbia may also contain  irritating chemicals and can be quite painful for a period of time afterwards, and spine wounds  from certain species of Agave can cause a painful swelling in some individuals that can last  weeks.

So if your wound has broken the skin, please, see a physician immediately and pay attention to  when you last had a tetanus shot. Deep cactus spine punctures are considered 'dirty wounds' and  if you have not had tetanus shot within 5 years it's a good idea to have a booster within 72  hours of receiving the wound.

When dealing with spiny plants it’s best to take several precautions. Plants with large spines  can enter your boots and pierce your feet, so when you are trimming them remember to place the  trimmings in a discreet pile that you can avoid walking on, wear boots with thick soles, and  wear thick, long sleeved shirts, gloves, and goggles. Garden centers carry long sleeved leather  gloves for pruning roses. It’s a real bad idea to trim spiny bushes or palm trees with a chain  saw, as the chain can catch a spiny branch and whip it into your face (if you insist on doing  this besides the clothing mentioned above wear a helmet with a full face, clear snap down  visor, although your neck will still be vulnerable; it would also be a good idea to take out  life insurance -using a chain saw to prune anything but large, woody branches over 3 inches thick is a real bad  idea).

Trimming and handling cactus is best done with the cactus parts to be handled or trimmed  wrapped first in thick cardboard or layers of newspaper wrapped around the stems so that the  wrapping material remains until the procedure is through. Large cactus should be trimmed with a  hand-saw. If you are moving or transplanting a cactus wrap it in a sheet or sheets of box  cardboard and use duct tape to keep the cardboard from unwrapping . Fit the cardboard so that it  has a taper below the main part of the cactus so that it does not slip out of the cardboard  sleeve when you move the cactus. You may also use tie-down straps to secure the wrapped cactus and provide a  grip for handling the plant. Wrapping the cactus in carpet will work as well as tying it up with old garden hose.

Sources

Nissl, Jan,  "Puncture Wounds" University of Michigan Health System Healthwise Knowledgebase, 1998

Cooperative Extension University of California Environmental Toxicology Newsletter, v. 3, no. 1, September 1982

 McLaughlin, John,  "Caution These Plants Might Rub You The Wrong Way," University of Florida IFAS Extension, Urban Horticulture, 2009"

Baker, David E. & Bruce E. Cutter, Basic Chain Saw Safety and Use, University of Missouri Extension, 1998.

Kelly, Jack, "How to Transplant a Cactus", University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, 2005

The Arboretum’s Flowering Magnolias: A Brief History

February 13, 2010

What's Blooming

A "big bang" is the only way to describe the unfolding galaxy of huge pink, white, and lavender flowers that occur in the early winter at the southeastern tip of the Arboretum's Meadowbrook Section. Magnolia flowers, some perfumed, some relaxed and spreading, others slender and pointed or even globular burst forth from the barren limbs after shedding their bristly flower caps (called "perules"). They are the largest single flowers outside the tropics. The Arboretum collection contains over 60 different types of magnolias, with over 40 of them being represented in the Meadowbrook Section.

Although they may appear contemporary, with a look that could be at home in front of an open ceiling mid-century modern style house, these plants have an ancient lineage. Among the first true flowering plants, magnolia fossils over 100 million years old have been found; they came to dominate the pre-ice age landscape across the world from 65 to 1 million years ago. After the glaciers finally receded, the once great forests of magnolias were gone, except for the few temperate areas of the world, like parts of China and North America, that escaped glacial ravaging.

The species that were to be the starting material for the modern deciduous flowering magnolias came from China. In cultivation there for over 1400 years, monks would collect specimens of Magnolia denudata from the local mountains and transplant them on the temple grounds where they represented the female yin and principles of candor and purity. But it wasn't just the magnolia's beauty that interested the Chinese; magnolia species like M. officinalis and M. denudata were used medicinally as well. Recent research has shown that magnolias are extremely useful medicinally. M. officinalis, called "Hou-phu" by the Chinese, is used for coughs, colds, and as a tonic. In a recent experiment published in the Journal of Pharmacology, Honokiol, a compound found in the bark extract of M. officinalis was determined to be five times as potent and much less addictive than Valium for relieving anxiety. Interestingly, a man who probably could have used such a tranquilizer was responsible for the next step in mankind's relationship with this beautiful and useful flowering tree.

In the early 19th century, Chevalier Etienne Soulange-Bodin, a disgruntled cavalry officer, treated himself for post traumatic stress by losing himself in the world of plants and gardening. Disgusted with the Napoleonic wars in which he fought (He wrote "It had doubtless been better for both parties to have stayed at home and planted their cabbages."), he founded the Royal Institute of Horticulture at Fromont near Paris. It was Soulange-Bodin, carefully transferring pollen from Magnolia lilliflora to the the female parts of Magnolia denudata flowers, who developed the first Magnolia x soulangiana hybrids ("soulangiana" coming from the first part of Mrs. Soulange-Bodin's surname). The resulting hybrid plants sported impressive tulip-like blooms in shades ranging from white, to pink, and even darker colors approaching purple. During the 1830s and later, Soulange-Bodin's hybrids became immensely popular in Great Britain, a popularity that has yet to wain and has encouraged other efforts at hybridization.

One of those programs was undertaken at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington D.C. Started by staff geneticist Francis de Vos and continued by horticulturalist William Kosar, their efforts to cross certain varieties of Magnolia liliiflora and Magnolia stellata resulted in a series of eight hybrids that were nicknamed by staff there as the "Eight Little Girls." Another ambitious hybridization program was started in Santa Cruz by Magnolia Society founder D. Todd Gresham. Wanting to produce distinctly "Californian" hybrids, he began his efforts with three hybrids chosen for their ability to flower early and their extremes in color and hardiness.  From 1955 to 1966 Gresham was able to perform over 300 crosses, resulting in over a thousand hybrid magnolia seedlings, including one growing here at the Arboretum, Magnolia 'Royal Crown'.

Now let's take a tour and look at some of the beautiful magnolias blooming at the Arboretum:
Magnolia liliiflora 'Nigra'
Magnolia liliiflora 'Nigra'; M. liliiflora is known as "Mulan" in China and is one of the parents of Magnolia x soulangiana.

Magnolia 'Royal Crown'
Magnolia 'Royal Crown', one of D. Todd Gresham's original crosses, is a hybrid between Magnolia liliiflora and M. x veitchii (M. x veitchii is a cross between M. campbellii and
M. denudata that was first performed by Peter Veitch of the Royal Nursery at Exeter in 1907).


Magnolia 'Royal Crown'
Magnolia 'Royal Crown'


Magnolia 'Galaxy'
Magnolia 'Galaxy' is a cross between M. liliiflora and M. sprengeri that was introduced by the U.S. National Arboretum in the early 1980s.


Magnolia x soulangiana 'Rustica Rubra'
Magnolia x soulangiana 'Rustica Rubra', a seedling of Magnolia x soulangiana that appeared in Holland at the turn of the 20th century.


Magnolia x soulangiana 'Rustica Rubra'
Magnolia x soulangiana 'Rustica Rubra'

Magnolia x soulangiana
Magnolia x soulangiana

Magnolia x loebneri 'Merrill'
Magnolia x loebneri 'Merrill'  These magnolias are the result of crossing Magnolia kobus with Magnolia stellata.

Magnolia x soulangiana 'Lilliputian'
Magnolia x soulangiana 'Lilliputian' has beautiful pink flowers on a plant that is 35% smaller than most hybrid magnolias.

Magnolia x soulangiana 'Picture'
Magnolia x soulangiana 'Picture'

Magnolia denudata
Magnolia denudata is known as the "Yulan" or "lily tree" in China where it was venerated as a representation of purity and openness. This species and M. liliiflora are the parents of the M. x soulangiana cross.

For those who are inspired by the beauty of these magnolias, the following list of books and references on magnolias are available at the Arboretum Library:

Asiatic Magnolias in Cultivation, by George Horace Johnstone, with a foreword by the D. Bowes-Lyon.
      London: The Royal Horticultural Society, 1955.
      Call Number: QK495 .M24 J72a


Checklist of the Cultivated Magnolias prepared by The American Horticultural Society ; with the cooperation of The American Magnolia Society.

           Mt. Vernon, Va. : American Horticultural Society, 1975.

           Call Number: SB413 .M19 A512c
    
Magnolias by James M. Gardiner ; [illustrations, David Ashby].           
Chester, Conn. : Globe Pequot Press, 1989.
     Call Number: SB413 .M19 G222m

Magnolias : A Gardener's Guide by Jim Gardiner.
              Portland, Or. : Timber Press, c2000.

             Call Number: SB413 .M19 G222m 2000          

Magnolias by Neil G. Treseder.
            London ; Boston : Faber & Faber published in collaboration with the Royal Horticultural Society, 1978.
             Call Number: SB413 .M19 T797m

Magnolias, by J.G. Millais ... with illustrations by R. Millais and from photographs.

                 London, New York [etc.]: Longmans, Green and Co., 1927.

                 Call Number: QK495 .M24 M645m
    
The World of Magnolias by Dorothy J. Callaway.
           Publisher: Portland, Or. : Timber Press, c1994.
           Call Number: SB413 .M19 C156w


Magnolia Checklist Online  American Magnolia Society

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