Perilla frutescens nankinensis

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Perilla frutescens
Light:Full Sun
Moisture:Mesic
Hardiness:8
Soil pH:5.6-8.4
Height:2'
Width:1'
Blooms:Mid Summer-Late Summer
Native to:
Edible Rating:PFAF Edibility RatingPFAF Edibility RatingPFAF Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating:PFAF Medicinal RatingPFAF Medicinal RatingPFAF Medicinal Rating
Tea:Yes
Poisonous

Perilla frutescens nankinensis (common name: purple shiso)

Propagation: Surface-sow or only lightly cover the seed in mid spring in a greenhouse. The seed germinates best at 20°c, though it also succeeds at slightly lower temperatures[1]. Germination is usually quick, prick out the seedlings into trays or individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer[2][K]. Give the plants some protection such as a cloche until they are growing away well. The seed has a short viability and should be used when less than a year old[1].

Cultivation: Prefers a light soil[3][1]. Requires a rich well-drained moisture-retentive soil in full sun[2]. Plants require a well-drained soil but do not need particularly fertile soil[1]. Prefers an acid soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6[1].

The plant is not frost hardy and requires temperatures above 18°c if it is to grow well[1]. The plant requires short days in order to flower[1].

Shiso is often cultivated in the Orient as a food flavouring. This is a very ornamental form of the plant with particularly deep red leaves[4][1]. Shiso is also cultivated for the oil obtained from its seed[5][6]. It is sometimes used in sub-tropical bedding schemes in Britain[3].

Range: E. Asia - China.

Habitat: Banks of streams and wet places[4].

Edibility: Edible young leaves and seedlings - raw or cooked[7][8][9][10]. The flavour is strange to western palates at first, some people detecting cinnamon, others coriander or citrus[1]. Seedlings are added to salads, older leaves are used as a garnish or flavouring[1]. Older leaves are also salted and used as a condiment for tofu and as a garnish for tempura[10]. Leaves from purple cultivars are used to colour preserved fruits[11]. The leaves can also be dried for later use[1]. The leaves contain about 3.1% protein, 0.8% fat, 4.1% carbohydrate, 1.1% ash[12].

Immature flower clusters are used as a garnish for soups and chilled tofu[10]. Older flower clusters are fried and eaten[10].

The seeds are preserved in salt or are used as a spice in pickles, tempura and miso[10][1]. They are one of the ingredients in 'Shichimi' or 'seven spice' mixture[1]. The seed can also be eaten cooked[13][9]. Seeds from purple-leafed forms of the plant are preferred for culinary use[11]. The seed contains about 21.5% protein, 43.4% fat, 11.3% carbohydrate, 4.4% ash[12].

An edible drying oil is obtained from the seed[7][6][10]. It is rich in linolenic acid[14].

The plant yields an essential oil which is used as a food flavouring in candies and sauces[10].

An edible purple dye is obtained from the plant[15][7][16]. The part of the plant is not specified, but it is almost certainly the leaves[K].

Medicinal: The leaves, stems and seeds of shiso are often used in Oriental medicine. It is a pungent, aromatic, warming herb that is antibacterial, antidote, antipyretic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antitussive, aromatic, carminative, diaphoretic, emollient, expectorant, pectoral, stomachic and tonic[8][17][18][19][20][11].

The leaves are used in the treatment of colds, chest stuffiness, vomiting, abdominal pain etc[19].

The seed is antiasthmatic, antitussive, emollient and expectorant[19]. It is used internally in the treatment of asthma, colds and chills, nausea, abdominal pain, food poisoning and allergic reactions (especially from seafood), bronchitis and constipation[20][11].

The stems are a traditional Chinese remedy for morning sickness[11].].

This herb should be avoided by pregnant women[21].

Usage: A drying oil obtained from the seed is used in making paints, varnishes, water proofing etc[7][14][13][6][11].

The plant yields 0.3 - 1.3% essential oil, which contains 20% citral[22]. It is used as a food flavouring and in dental products[11].

Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.

Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.

Flower Type: Hermaphrodite

Known Hazards: There have been cases of toxicity, including dermatitis, pulmonary oedema, respiratory distress and even death following ingestion by cattle and horses[23].

Also Known As: P. arguta. Benth. P. crispa. P. nankinensis.

Links

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 Larkcom, Joy. Oriental Vegetables. John Murray, 1991.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Komarov, Vladimir. Flora of the USSR. Gantner Verlag, 1968.
  5. ↑ Tutin, Tom et al.. Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press, 1964.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Hill, Albert. Economic Botany. The Maple Press, 1952.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Oriental Herbs and Vegetables, Vol 39 No. 2. Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 1986.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Stuart, George. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei Southern Materials Centre.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Read, Bernard. Famine Foods Listed in the Chiu Huang Pen Ts'ao. Taipei Southern Materials Centre, 1977.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Schery. Robert. Plants for Man. Prentice Hall, 1972.
  15. ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
  16. ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
  17. ↑ Revolutionary Health Committee of Hunan Province. A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press.
  18. ↑ Kariyone, Tatsuo. Atlas of Medicinal Plants.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Yeung, Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, 1985.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
  21. ↑ Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
  22. ↑ Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.
  23. ↑ Diggs, George and Barney Lipscomb. Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas. Botanical Research Institute, 1999.


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