Pueraria montana lobata
| Pueraria montana | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 33' |
| Speed: | Fast |
| Blooms: | Early Fall-Mid Fall |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Pueraria montana lobata (common name: kudzu vine)
Propagation: Pre-soak the seed for 12 hours in warm water and sow in a warm greenhouse in early spring. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out after the last expected frosts[1]. Cover the young plants with a frame or cloche until they are growing away well.
Division of young shoots from the crown. The young shoots are removed in the spring with some of the underground part of the stem, preferably with some roots already formed. They are potted up and will usually develop new roots from the nodes. They are planted out in the summer if growth is sufficient, otherwise they are grown on in pots for a year and planted out late the following spring.
Cultivation: Grows best on well-drained loam soil of good fertility[2]. Succeeds in most well-drained soils in a sunny position[1], though it does not make good growth on very light poor sand or on poorly drained heavy clay[2]. Plants cannot stand waterlogging on any soil[2]. A deep-rooted pant, once established it is very drought resistant[3][2]. The plant is reported to tolerate an annual precipitation in the range of 97 to 214cm, an annual mean temperature in the range of 12.2 to 26.7°C, and a pH of 5.0 to 7.1[2].
Plants are hardy to about -15°c, they can resprout from the base if they are cut down by frosts[1]. A twining plant, the top growth is not generally hardy in Britain and plants do not always flower here[4]. Plants can be grown as annuals in Britain, the seed is started off in a greenhouse and is planted out after the last frosts[4]. They can grow up to 6 metres in their first year and make good temporary screens[4]. The plant succeeds outdoors in Berlin, but it has to be propagated vegetatively there[5].
This plant is cultivated for its edible root in Japan and China[6].
The flowers have a sweet vanilla scent[7].
When grown in warmer climates than Britain the root can be invasive and plants have become weeds[8][9]. Introduced into the southern N. American states in 1876 as a soil stabilizer, the plant has spread very widely (it can grow up to 30cm in a day), has swamped out native vegetation, including large trees. It is considered to be one of the most obnoxious weeds in that region[10].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[1].
Range: E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.
Habitat: Thickets and thin woods all over Japan[11].
Edibility: Root - cooked[12][3]. Rich in starch[13]. The root can be up to 1.8 metres long[14] and has been known to weigh 35 kilos or more[2]. The root contains about 10% starch, this can be extracted and used as a crispy coating in deep fried foods, or for thickening soups etc[14][6]. It can also be made into noodles, or like agar or gelatine is used as a gelling agent for salads[6]. This plant is a staple food in Japan, the peeled root contains about 2.1% protein, 0.1% fat, 27.1% carbohydrate, 1.4% ash[15]. The starch of the roots contains (per 100 g) 340 calories, 16.5 percent moisture, 0.2 g protein, 0.1 g fat, 83.1 g total carbohydrate, 0.1 g ash, 35 mg Ca, 18 mg P, 2.0 mg Fe, and 2 mg Na[2]. A nutritional analysis for the whole root is available.
Flowers - cooked or made into pickles[6].
Stems and young leaves - raw or cooked[12]. A very nutritious food, the fresh young shoots taste like a cross between a bean and a pea[6]. The cooked leaves contain (per 100 g) 36 calories, 89.0 percent moisture, 0.4 g protein, 0.1 g fat, 9.7 g total carbohydrate. 7.7 g fiber, 0.8 fat, 34 mg Ca, 20 mg P, 4.9 mg Fe, 0.03 mg thiamin, 0.91 mg riboflavin, 0.8 mg niacin[2].
Medicinal: The kudzu vine, known as Ge Gen in China, is commonly used in Chinese herbalism, where it is considered to be one of the 50 fundamental herbs[16]. Recent research has shown that compounds called 'daidzin' and 'daidzein', which are contained in the roots and the flowers, are a safe and effective method for treating alcohol abuse[17]. They work by suppressing the appetite for alcohol, whereas existing treatments interfere with the way the alcohol is metabolised and can cause a build-up of toxins[17]. The plant is often used in combination with Chrysanthemum x morifolium in treating alcohol abuse[18].
The flowers and the roots are antidote, antiemetic, antipyretic, antispasmodic, demulcent, diaphoretic, digestive, febrifuge, hypoglycaemic and hypotensive[14][19][16][20][17]. A concoction of the flowers and tubers is used to treat alcoholism, fever, colds, diarrhoea, dysentery, acute intestinal obstruction etc[14][19][16][20]. It is useful in the treatment of angina pectoris and migraine[16]. The root is frequently used as a remedy for measles, often in combination with Cimicifuga foetida[18].
The root contains puerarin. This increases the blood flow to the coronary artery and protects against acute myocardial ischaemia caused by the injection of pituitrin[19].
The root can be harvested from the autumn to the spring and is used fresh or dried[17].
The flowers are harvested just before they are fully open and are dried for later use[17].
The stems are galactogogue and are also applied as a poultice to incipient boils, swellings, sore mouths etc[16][20].
The seed is used in the treatment of hangover and dysentery[16][20].
The leaves are styptic[16].
Usage: A tough, strong fibre from the stems is used to make ropes, cables, coarse cordage and textiles[21][13][22][23][24]. The fibre is 2 - 3mm long and can be used to make paper. Straight first year stems, 2 - 2.7 metres long, are harvested in mid summer, the leaves are removed and the stems steamed until the fibres can be stripped. The fibres are then cooked for 2 hours with lye, tough vines might require 4 hours cooking, and the fibre put in a ball mill for 3 hours. The resulting paper is greenish/cream in colour[24].
Can be used as a ground cover plant in a sunny position[25].
Plants have an extensive root system which can be 1.8 metres deep, they are used for erosion control and for rebuilding depleted soils[3][14]. A member of the Leguminosae, so it adds nitrogen to the soil through the actions of root bacteria.
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Although no specific mention has been found for this species, the leaves of the closely related P. hirsuta (which might be no more than a synonym for this species) have barbed hairs and these can cause severe irritation[22].
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Duke, James. Handbook of Energy Crops. 1983.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Hill, Albert. Economic Botany. The Maple Press, 1952.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Komarov, Vladimir. Flora of the USSR. Gantner Verlag, 1968.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray, 1992.
- ↑ Grey-Wilson, Christopher and Victoria Matthews. Gardening on Walls. Collins, 1983.
- ↑ Diggs, George and Barney Lipscomb. Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas. Botanical Research Institute, 1999.
- ↑ Ohwi, Jisaburo. Flora of Japan. Smithsonian Institution, 1965.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Wilson, Ernest and Charles Sargent. Plantae Wilsonianae.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Kariyone, Tatsuo. Atlas of Medicinal Plants.
- ↑ Read, Bernard. Famine Foods Listed in the Chiu Huang Pen Ts'ao. Taipei Southern Materials Centre, 1977.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 16.6 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Chevallier, Andrew. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling Kindersley, 1996.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Yeung, Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, 1985.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Wilson, E and M Trollope. Korean Flora. Royal Asiatic Society, 1918.
- ↑ Buchanan, Rita. A Weavers Garden.
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Bell, Lilian. Plant Fibres for Papermaking. Liliaceae Press, 1988.
- ↑ Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.