Polygonum orientale
| Polygonum orientale | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 5' |
| Blooms: | Late Summer-Mid Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Polygonum orientale (common name: prince's feather)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Germination is usually free and easy. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer if they have reached sufficient size. If not, overwinter them in a cold frame and plant them out the following spring after the last expected frosts.
Cultivation: Succeeds in an ordinary garden soil[1] but prefers a moisture retentive not too fertile soil in sun or part shade[2]. Repays generous treatment[1].
Plants are not very hardy in Britain but can be grown as a half-hardy annual[1].
Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[3].
Range: E. Asia - China to the Himalayas.
Habitat: Roadsides, near houses and wastelands, also commonly cultivated in gardens, from sea level to 3000 metres[4].
Edibility: Young shoots - cooked. The young shoots are a standard vegetable in Indo-China[5].
Seed - cooked[6][7]. The seed is rather small and fiddly to utilize.
Medicinal: The plant is a good tonic and vulnerary[8].
The flowers are said to thin the blood, remove obstructions and ease pain[9].
The leafy stems are used in the treatment of hernias[9].
A decoction of the ripe fruits is used in the treatment of hepatitis, sloughing ulcers, tympanites and cancer[9].
The seed is said to relieve flatulence, fevers and thirst, brighten the eyes and benefit the breath[7][9].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Early Fall-Late Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Although no specific mention has been made for this species, there have been reports that some members of this genus can cause photosensitivity in susceptible people._x005F
Many species also contain oxalic acid (the distinctive lemony flavour of sorrel) - whil
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ Flora of China. 1994.
- ↑ Read, Bernard. Famine Foods Listed in the Chiu Huang Pen Ts'ao. Taipei Southern Materials Centre, 1977.
- ↑ Singh, Gurcharan and Premnath Kachroo. Forest Flora of Srinagar. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, 1976.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 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.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.