Atractylodes japonica
| Atractylodes japonica | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Late Summer-Mid Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Atractylodes japonica (common name: japanese atractylodes)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame and only just cover the seed. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in the following spring or early summer.
Cultivation: We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it could succeed outdoors in many parts of this country. This species is closely related to A. lancea[1]. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus.
Succeeds in any well-drained soil in sun or partial shade[2].
This species is dioecious. Both male and female plants need to be grown if seed is required[3]. Another report says that the plant is monoecious, bearing both female and bisexual flowers[4].
Range: E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.
Habitat: Hills and mountains of central and southern Japan. Forests and forest margins at elevations of 200 - 800 metres in Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces of eastern China[3].
Edibility: Buds and young leaves[5]. No more details are given[K].
Root - cooked. A famine food used when all else fails[5].
Medicinal: The rhizome is commonly used in Chinese and Korean herbal medicine[4]. It is antiemetic, appetizer, diaphoretic, digestive, diuretic, stomachic and tonic[1][6][7][4]. The rhizome contains several medically active constituents including an essential oil and sesquiterpenes[4]. It has been shown to help lower blood sugar levels and to exert a protective influence on the liver[4]. It is used in the treatment of gastro-intestinal disorders such as diarrhoea, water retention, mastitis, fistula, rheumatoid arthritis and night blindness[1][6][7][4].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Monoecious
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Kariyone, Tatsuo. Atlas of Medicinal Plants.
- ↑ Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Flora of China. 1994.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Medicinal Plants in the Republic of Korea. World Health Organisation, 1998.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Yeung, Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, 1985.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Stuart, George. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei Southern Materials Centre.