Cynanchum atratum
| Cynanchum atratum | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Early Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Cynanchum atratum (common name: bai wei)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in the greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Division in spring.
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 should succeed outdoors in many parts of this country. It probably does not have any special cultivation requirements and will probably succeed in most soils in a sunny position[K].
See also the records for C. stratum which might be a mis-spelling for this species.
Range: E. Asia - Northern China, Japan.
Habitat: Mountains all over Japan[1]. Sunny meadows from the lowlands to elevations of 500 metres[2].
Edibility: Young stem and leaves - cooked[3][4][5]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Young seedpods - thoroughly boiled[4][5]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Medicinal: The root is depurative, diuretic and febrifuge[6][7]. In Chinese medicine, the decocted root is generally used with other herbs in the treatment of coughs and hectic fevers, haematuria, acute urinary tract infection, pharyngitis, abscesses and snake bites[6][8].
The stem is antitussive and sialagogue[8].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: There are some reports of toxins in this genus[5].
Also Known As: Vincetoxicum atratum. (Bunge.)Morr.&Decne.
Links
References
- ↑ Ohwi, Jisaburo. Flora of Japan. Smithsonian Institution, 1965.
- ↑ Flora of Japan.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Read, Bernard. Famine Foods Listed in the Chiu Huang Pen Ts'ao. Taipei Southern Materials Centre, 1977.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Yeung, Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, 1985.
- ↑ Stuart, George. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei Southern Materials Centre.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.