Ranunculus japonicus
| Ranunculus japonicus | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 0.3' |
| Width: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Mid Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Ranunculus japonicus (common name: mao gen)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.
Division in spring.
Cultivation: We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in most parts of the country. It is clsely related to R. acris[1]. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus.
Prefers a moist loamy soil[2].
A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants, especially legumes[3].
Range: E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.
Habitat: Moist soils in grassy places in lowland and mountains all over Japan[4].
Edibility: Leaves - cooked[5]. The leaves contain a low level of toxicity that is not enough to be injurious[6].
Medicinal: The plant is decongestant and vermicide[7][8]. It is used in the treatment of malaria[7][8].
The plant contains antitumour compounds[8].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The leaves are poisonous. The toxicity is of a low measure and the toxins can be destroyed by heat or by drying[9][10][11][12][13][14]. Many if not all plants in this genus also have a strongly acrid juice that can cause blistering to the skin[14][15].
Links
References
- ↑ Flora of China. 1994.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Hatfield, Audrey. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd, 1974.
- ↑ Ohwi, Jisaburo. Flora of Japan. Smithsonian Institution, 1965.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Read, Bernard. Famine Foods Listed in the Chiu Huang Pen Ts'ao. Taipei Southern Materials Centre, 1977.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Revolutionary Health Committee of Hunan Province. A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Altmann, Horst. Poisonous Plants and Animals. Chatto and Windus, 1980.
- ↑ Triska, Jan. Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn, 1975.
- ↑ Stary, Frantisek. Poisonous Plants. Hamlyn, 1983.
- ↑ Elias, Thomas. A Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1982.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Frohne, Dietrich and Hans Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Timber Press, 1984.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.