September+Science+Discoveries,+JCC

I decided to do my science discovery on a herb called Spearmint (Mentha spicata). Spearmint can be twelve to eighteen inches tall in height and can live five to ten years. Spearmint is used in medicine that helps digestion. Spearmint is also used in teas and various other medicines that do different things. They put the spearmint in tea by soaking it in water for an amount of time then squeezing the water out of the leaf. In conclusion, Spearmint is an amazing plant that is used for a lot of things.



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Just because you know the name of something doesn't mean you know what it is. I am doing my science discovery on the plant called Goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea) and although I know the name, I don't know what it does or what it's used for. Goldenrod is a flower that has yellow ends on it. Goldenrod can be found in valleys, Hillsides, plains and my backyard. It can grow between 6.0 cm to 1.5 meters. It is used in medicine that can reduce pain and/or swelling. Native Americans used the seeds of Goldenrod in some species of food. Herbal teas can be made from Goldenrod. At the start of this science discovery I didn't know anything about Goldenrod except the name and now I know all of this stuff I researched. []
 * Science Discovery 9/15/14**

Science Discovery 9/28/14

I decided to do my science discovery on the state flower of Pennsylvania, Mountain Laurel (Kalmia Latifolia). Mountain Laurel is an evergreen shrub growing 3-9 meters tall. The leaves can be 3-12 centimeters long and 1-4 centimeters wide. It can be light pink to white and it blooms in May and June. It is found on rocky slopes and mountainous forest areas. Mountain Laurel is poisonous to several animals because of the grayanotoxin and arbutin, including horses, deer, monkeys, goats, cattle, and humans. Grayanotoxin is a group of similar toxins found in rhododendron and plants found in the family of Ericaceae. Arbutin is glycoside and is found in pear skins and wheat, but it is not poisonous in everything.
 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/fb/Kalmia_Latifolia.jpg/220px-Kalmia_Latifolia.jpg width="260" height="210" caption="Kalmia Latifolia"]] ||
 * Kalmia Latifolia ||

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