Cuscuta chinensis
| Cuscuta chinensis | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Cuscuta chinensis (common name: chinese dodder)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn, by lodging it among the stems of a host plant[1].
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 at least in the milder parts of this country.
This is a parasitic species that is devoid of leaves, roots or chlorophyll and so is totally dependant upon its host[1]. It is most commonly found growing on plants in the families Leguminosae, Compositae and Zygophyllaceae and must be grown next to the host plant, which it penetrates with suckers in order to obtain nutriment[1][2].
Range: E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.
Habitat: Near seashores, C. and S. Japan[3]. Fields, open mountain slopes, thickets and sandy beaches at elevations up to 3,000 metres in most parts of China[2].
Medicinal: A lotion made from the stems is used in the treatment of sore heads and inflamed eyes[4].
The seed is aphrodisiac, demulcent, diaphoretic, hepatic and tonic[5][6][4][7]. It is decocted and used with other herbs to treat a variety of ailments[4]. In particular, it is used in the treatment of impotence, nocturnal emissions, vertigo, lumbago, leucorrhoea, frequent micturation, decreased eyesight, threatened abortion and chronic diarrhoea[5].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Flora of China. 1994.
- ↑ Ohwi, Jisaburo. Flora of Japan. Smithsonian Institution, 1965.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Yeung, Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, 1985.
- ↑ Stuart, George. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei Southern Materials Centre.
- ↑ Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.