Paris polyphylla
| Paris polyphylla | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 8 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Cross Pollinated | |
| Height: | 3' |
| Width: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Paris polyphylla (common name: herb paris)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in late summer in light shade in a greenhouse. Sow stored seed in a greenhouse as soon as it is received. The seed is very slow to germinate. It produces a primary root about 7 months after sowing, this pulls the seed deeper into the soil. Leaves are produced about 4 months later[1]. Sow the seed thinly in fairly deep pots so that the seedlings can be grown on for their first two years without disturbance. Once they have germinated, give them a regular weak liquid feed to ensure that they do not suffer from nutrient deficiency. Once the plants are dormant at the end of their second year of growth, divide them up and put one plant in each pot. Grow them on for at least another year in a shady part of the greenhouse before planting them out into their permanent positions.
Division.
Cultivation: Easily grown in a moist humus-rich soil in woodland conditions, succeeding in full or partial shade[2][3][4]. Prefers a light sandy loam[5].
This species is hardy to about -15°c according to one report[3], though another says that plants only succeed outdoors in southern and western Britain[5].
Overcollection of this plant from the wild for medicinal purposes is a cause of conservation concern[6].
A very variable species, with a large number of subspecies recognised[7].
Plants are very slow to flower from seed[1]. The individual flowers are very long-lived, lasting for up to 3 months[3][4].
Range: E. Asia - China to the Himalayas.
Habitat: Broad-leaved and mixed woodlands to 3000 metres in the Himalayas[8][3]. Forests, bamboo forests, thickets, grassy or rocky slopes and streamsides, 100 - 3500 metres in western China[7].
Edibility: Seed[9]. A sweet flavour, but mawkish[10].
Medicinal: The roots are analgesic, antiphlogistic, antipyretic, antispasmodic, antitussive, depurative, febrifuge and narcotic[11][12][13][14]. They posses anthelmintic properties[15]. A decoction of the roots is used in the treatment of poisonous snake bites, boils and ulcers, diphtheria and epidemic Japanese B encephalitis[12]. A paste of the roots is used as a poultice to treat cuts and wounds[6]. The juice of the roots has been used as an anthelmintic[6].
The roots have shown antibacterial action against Bacillus dysenteriae, B. typhi, B. paratyphi, E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, haemolytic streptococci, Meningococci etc[13].
The whole plant is febrifuge[14].
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Poisonous[11].
Also Known As: Paris polyphylla. Smith.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Royal Horticultural Society. The Plantsman Vol. 9. 1986 - 1987. Royal Horticultural Society, 1986.
- ↑ Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Bulbs. Pan Books, 1989.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Grey, Charles. Hardy Bulbs. Williams & Norgate, 1938.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Manandhar, Narayan. Plants and People of Nepal. Timber Press, 2002.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Flora of China. 1994.
- ↑ Polunin, Oleg and Adam Stainton. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press, 1984.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Revolutionary Health Committee of Hunan Province. A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Yeung, Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, 1985.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ Manandhar, N. Medicinal Plants of Nepal Himalaya. Department of Medicinal Plants, 1993.