Melia azederach

From Permawiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Melia azederach
Light:Full Sun
Moisture:Xeric Mesic
Hardiness:9
Soil pH:5.6-8.4
Height:30'
Width:30'
Speed:Fast
Blooms:Early Summer
Native to:
Edible Rating:PFAF Edibility RatingPFAF Edibility RatingPFAF Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating:PFAF Medicinal RatingPFAF Medicinal RatingPFAF Medicinal Rating
Tea:Yes
Poisonous

Melia azederach (common name: bead tree)

Propagation: Seed - sow late winter in a greenhouse. The seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn[1][2]. The seed usually germinates well. 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[3].

Root cuttings[4].

Cultivation: Requires a sunny sheltered position[5]. Succeeds in most well-drained soils and in hot dry conditions[6]. Likes sandy soils[1]. Grows well in mild coastal areas[1].

A very ornamental tree[7], it is not very cold tolerant being killed by temperatures lower than about -5°c[8]. It only succeeds outdoors in the mildest areas of Britain[5], seldom growing larger than a shrub[9]. It is hardy on a sunny wall in S.W. England[10][11]. It is often cultivated in warmer regions than Britain for its many useful qualities[7].

The flowers are produced on the current years wood and have a delicate sweet perfume[9][12]. The trees do not normally require pruning[11].

The seeds have a strong scent of musk and the wood is also musk-scented[12].

Trees are very susceptible to forest fire, though they sprout back readily from the roots[13]. They are planted for re-afforestation in their native areas, where they are fast growing though short-lived[6][13].

Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[6].

Range: E. Asia - N. India to China. Naturalized in the Mediterranean.

Habitat: Moist sunny locations[14] to 2700 metres in the Himalayas[15].

Edibility: Leaves - cooked[16][17]. A bitter flavour, they are used as a pot-herb, in curries, soups etc[16].

Fruit[16]. A sweetish flavour, it is eaten by children though some people believe it to be poisonous[16]. The fruit is between 1 and 5cm in diameter[6] and contains a single seed[11].

Both these reports, of edible leaves and fruits, should be treated with some caution. The fruit is poisonous according to one report where it says that the ripe fruit is more poisonous than the green fruit and that they have sometimes caused human fatalities[18].

A cooling drink is made from the sap[16] - it is actually a gum[19]. This gum is tasteless, clear to dark amber and of good solubility[19]. The sap is obtained from incisions that are made near the base of the trunk in the spring[16].

Medicinal: Used externally in the treatment of rheumatism[20][14].

An aqueous extract reduces the intensity of asthmatic attacks[21]. (This report does not specify the part of the plant that is used[K].)

The leaf juice is anthelmintic, antilithic, diuretic and emmenagogue[18][21]. A decoction is astringent and stomachic[18]. The leaves are harvested during the growing season and can be used fresh or dried[2].

The flowers and leaves are applied as a poultice in the treatment of neuralgia and nervous headache[18][21].

The stem bark is anthelmintic, astringent and bitter tonic[22][23][18]. It is used as a tonic in India[22]. It can be harvested at any time of the year and is used fresh or dried[2].

The fruit is antiseptic and febrifuge[18]. The pulp is used as a vermifuge[24]. The fruit is harvested in the autumn when it is fully ripe and can be used fresh or dried[2].

The seed is antirheumatic[18][21]. It is used externally.

The root bark is emetic, emmenagogue, purgative and vermifuge[22][23][18]. It is highly effective against ringworm and other parasitic skin diseases[18]. It can be harvested at any time of the year and is used fresh or dried[2].

A gum that exudes from the tree is considered by some to have aphrodisiac properties[22].

This plant should be used with caution, preferably under the supervision of a qualified practitioner[2]. Excess causes diarrhoea, vomiting and symptoms of narcotic poisoning[2].

Usage: The seed contains up to 40% of a drying oil[25]. It is used for lighting, varnish etc[20][26].

The musk-scented seeds are used as beads in rosaries[7][15][27][28][12].

The fruits are a source of a flea powder and an insecticide[29][26]. The whole fruit is ground up and used[30]. The fruit pulp is also used as an insect repellent[31].

The leaves repel mosquitoes and other insects[27][32][33].

Wood - tough, durable, moderately heavy, somewhat brittle, handsomely marked, takes an excellent polish. It has a musk-like aroma[12]. It is used for making furniture, packing cases etc[25][34][31][24]. Because it is fast-growing, it is often used as a fuel[35].

Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.

Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.

Seed Ripens: Mid Fall-Late Fall

Flower Type: Hermaphrodite

Known Hazards: The fruit is somewhat poisonous[16][20][27]. Ripe fruits are more toxic than green ones[18]. As little as six fruits have caused fatalities in children[36].

All parts of the plant contain toxins that can cause gastric tract irritation and degeneration of

Also Known As: M. japonica.

Links

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
  3. ↑ Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
  4. ↑ Dirr, Michael and Charles Heuser. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press, 1987.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Taylor, Jane. The Milder Garden. Dent, 1990.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
  8. ↑ Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2. Pan Books, London, 1998.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Thomas, Graham. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray, 1992.
  10. ↑ Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Grey-Wilson, Christopher and Victoria Matthews. Gardening on Walls. Collins, 1983.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Elias, Thomas. The Complete Trees of North America. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1980.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Lassak, Erich and Tara McCarthy. Australian Medicinal Plants.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Polunin, Oleg and Adam Stainton. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press, 1984.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 16.6 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
  17. ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 18.6 18.7 18.8 18.9 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Howes, Frank. Vegetable Gums and Resins. Chronica Botanica, 1949.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Yeung, Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, 1985.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Vines, Robert. Trees of North Texas. University of Texas Press, 1982.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Chakravarty, Hiralal. The Plant Wealth of Iraq. 1976.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Komarov, Vladimir. Flora of the USSR. Gantner Verlag, 1968.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press, 1987.
  28. ↑ Gupta, Basant. Forest Flora of Chakrata, Dehra Dun and Saharanpur. Forest Research Institute Press, 1945.
  29. ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
  30. ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Vines, Robert. Trees of Central Texas. University of Texas Press, 1987.
  32. ↑ Niebuhr, Alta. Herbs of Greece. Herb Society of America, 1970.
  33. ↑ Stuart, George. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei Southern Materials Centre.
  34. ↑ Gamble, James. A Manual of Indian Timbers. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, 1972.
  35. ↑ Manandhar, Narayan. Plants and People of Nepal. Timber Press, 2002.
  36. ↑ Diggs, George and Barney Lipscomb. Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas. Botanical Research Institute, 1999.


Retrieved from "https://old.permawiki.org/w/index.php?title=Melia_azederach&oldid=28407"