Assyrian plum - Cordia myxa L - Μυξιά ή μύξα - Το δέντρο που ευθύνεται για εκατομμύρια θανάτους πουλιών στην Κύπρο - Cyprus

 See also

All about Cyprus - Όλα για την Κύπρο

Pallid Harrier has found its leg and tail stuck on limesticks - Cyprus

Bastard poachers paid

Μυξιά ή μύξα, το δέντρο που ευθύνεται για εκατομμύρια θανάτους πουλιών στην Κύπρο καθώς από τους ώριμους καρπούς του δέντρου κατασκευάζονταν τα γνωστά βερκά ή ξόβεργα για την σύλληψη κυρίως αμπελοπουλιών

Τα βερκά, τοποθετούνται σε θάμνους και δέντρα, και τα πουλιά, όταν καθίσουν πανω, κολλούν στην κολλητική ουσία των βερκών και πιάνονται. Η μέθοδος αυτή  χρησιμοποιείτο στην Κύπρο από τα αρχαία χρόνια.

Σήμερα η μέθοδος της σύλληψης πουλιών με τα βερκά είναι απαγορευμένη. 

Δεν είναι μόνο τα αμπελοπούλια που πέφτουν θύματα της παράνομης παγίδευσης με τη χρήση ξοβεργών. 153 είδη της κυπριακής πτηνοπανίδας πέφτουν θύματα της βάναυσης αυτής μεθόδου, τα μισά εκ των οποίων θεωρούνται απειλούμενα και ορισμένα είναι εξαιρετικά σπάνια είδη. Ακόμα και μεγαλόσωμα αρπαχτικά πουλιά στην προσπάθειά τους να πιάσουν τα μικροπούλια που είναι πιασμένα στα ξόβεργα πιάνονται και αυτά. Εγκληματικός και αηδιαστικός είναι από αρκετούς λαθροθήρες ο τρόπος θανάτωσης των πουλιών που αφαιρούνται από τα ξόβεργα και είναι ακόμα ζωντανά, γιατί τα δαγκώνουν στον λαιμό με αποτέλεσμα αυτός να σπάζει. Κείμενο Γιώργος Κωνσταντίνου

Cordia myxa, the Assyrian plum, is a mid-sized, deciduous tree in the borage family (Boraginaceae), native to Asia. It produces small, edible fruit and is found in warmer areas across Africa and Asia. Other common names in various languages include lasura, laveda, pidar, panugeri, naruvilli, geduri, spistan, burgund dulu wanan and ntege.

It is found growing primarily in Asia, as well as, across the globe especially in tropical regions having the right type of geophysical environment. It is seen coming up naturally and growing abundantly from Myanmar in the east to Lebanon and Syria in the west. Its habitat starts at about 200 m above mean sea level in the plains and ascends to an altitude around 1,500 m in the hills.

Habit

Lasura matures in about 50 to 60 years by when its girth at the breast height is about 1 to 1.5 m. Its bole (main trunk) is generally straight and cylindrical, attaining a height of nearly 3 to 4 m. The branches spread in all directions by virtue of which its crown can be trained into a beautiful inverted dome like an umbrella. When fully grown up, the total height of the tree comes to nearly 10 to 15 m. In less favorable climates and/or unfavorable environments, however, it has a lesser growth and may attain a somewhat crooked form. In still worse environments it can even remain a stunted shrub.

Bark

The bark of lasura is grayish brown in color with longitudinal and vertical fissures. The tree can be easily identified from a distance by observing the fissures which are so prominent in the bark of the main bole of a tree approaching maturity.

Leaves

The leaves of lasura are broad, ovate, alternate and stalked with the spread being 7 to 15 cm x 5 to 10 cm. In matter of external appearance these are glabrous above and pubescent below. The young leaves tend to be hairy. The fresh foliage is quite useful as fodder for cattle — more so during grass famines. These are also used for wrapping biddies and cheroots.

Flowers

Lasura tree flowers during March–April. The inflorescence, mostly terminal, is, white in color. Individual florets are nearly 5 mm in diameter. At places these are somewhat hairy and white. Being a deciduous plant, the species bears male and female flowers on the same tree. The calyx part of an independent flower is about 8 mm long and glabrous, but not pubescent. It splits irregularly at the opening of its bud into flower. The filaments are hairy.

Fruit

The fruit of lasura start appearing during July–August. It is a kind of a drupe (stone fruit), light pale to brown or even pink in color. The appearance tends to darken when ripening sets in. Being full of viscid glue like mucilage, the pulp is somewhat translucent. When fully ripe the pulp becomes quite sweet in taste and is fully enjoyed by children. The pulp in a half ripe fruit can even be used as an alternative to paper glue in office work.

Cultivation

Keeping in view the numerous utilities of the plant it is widely cultivated in the arid zone too. The species is indigenous to China and is widely cultivated in lower plains and tropical regions. Though this plant flourishes well in deep clay loam and sandy soils, it does still better in areas experiencing nearly 100 to 150 cm of annual rainfall. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Agia Napa 2/8/2012 by George Konstantinou