Science Forums 2

[Michaelangelica]

Someone wrote about an American plant Gopher Weed on these forums some time ago. i can't find the post.
Apparently you can just turn that sstraight into usable (CO2 producing?) oil.

Just googled "Gopher weed" and came up with this

New York Times
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Published: January 3, 1981

Within five years, the University of Arizona will be turning tons of desert plants into oil, gasoline and petrochemicals, preparing for the day when plant-produced oil will supply 5 to 10 percent of the nation's energy needs, a researcher at the school says.

Jack Johnson, the school's director of Arid Lands Studies, says plant-produced oil could be filling that role within 10 to 15 years. He also predicts that a 40-acre Arizona biofuels research facility, now being developed near the Tucson International Airport, will put the university in the forefront of biofuels development.

Biofuels are fuels derived from a wide variety of renewable resources, such as plants, algae and refuse. ''There is no other facility like this in the U.S.,'' Mr. Johnson said. ''The university is already the unquestioned leader in the development of energy from biofuels. We're the only ones doing research at this level.'' Operational by 1990

About 20 acres of the site already are in use, and the university hopes to have the site fully operational in 10 years.
. . .
The facility will include about 10 acres outdoors, and another 3,000 square feet of greenhouse space for growing plants such as jojoba, buffalo gourd, guayule and gopher weed to process into oil.

UNIVERSITY PREPARES TO GROW OIL - New York Times

but this is the article that inspired me to start this thread
Kentucky.com | 05/27/2007 | Tiny seeds from Northwest could a be source of biofuel

By Les Blumenthal
MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

WASHINGTON --
A plant that flourished in Europe roughly 3,500 years ago could become a major source of biofuel.

Researchers say that camelina, planted on millions of acres of marginal farmland from eastern Washington state to North Dakota, could help power the nation's drive for cleaner energy.

"This is the most exciting crop I have seen in my 30-some years in this field," said Steven Guy, a professor . . .
. . .
Camelina supporters say the plant can grow in more arid conditions, doesn't require extensive use of expensive fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, and can produce more oil from its seeds than other crops such as canola, by some estimates, for half the price.

"We actually think it might be the next wonder crop," said Tom Todaro, the chief executive of Targeted Growth, a Seattle biotech firm that's working to increase camelina yields "radically." The company hopes to produce enough seed to plant 1 million acres of camelina by 2009.

About 85 percent of the feedstock used in biodiesel in the United States comes from soybeans

MSU Extension in Roosevelt County
Article

Montana Camelina 2005 (Provided by Duane Johnson, MSU Northwestern Agricultual Research Center)
Introduction

Camelina is an ancient crop first known to be cultivated in Northern Europe during the Bronze Age.
The seeds were collected, crushed and boiled in water and the oil that was derived was used as a lamp oil, a medicinal treatment and as an edible oil. Camelina, Camelina sativa L., is native to northern Europe from Finland to Romania and east to the Ural Mountains.
Camelina fell into disfavor when more productive crops such as wheat and canola began to be produced.
Farm subsidy programs supporting commodity crop severely reduced camelina production. It became a common weed in Europe known as false flax (contaminating flax fields) and as Gold-of-Pleasure. Camelina cultivation has been strengthened recently as demand for omega 3 oils has increased dramatically.
. . .
Within the past year, the US Food and Drug Administration has allowed health claims to be made for omega 3 oils. Omega 3s are known to primarily reduce inflammation in humans.
. . .
. . .Domestic fish, fed primarily from non-omega 3-rich feeds, frequently lack measurable amounts of omega 3.
. . .
The superior crops, however, are flax, hemp, perilla and camelina. . .
. . .
Perilla is a new crop without a great deal of agronomic research. It is a crop more common to China than the US.
. . .
The seed are exceedingly small at 345,000-465,000 per pound

Roosevelt County Extension Office - Ag Article

drawing and first Camelina link courtesy of care 2
Tiny seeds from Northwest could a be sou... - Care2 News Network
I have tried to post a few photos of the plant from Google Image search but can't anyone know why?