Ripogonum scandens
| Ripogonum scandens | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 10 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 33' |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Ripogonum scandens (common name: supple jack)
Propagation: Seed - we have no information for this species but suggest sowing the seed as soon as it is ripe in a warm greenhouse. Sow stored seed in a warm greenhouse in the spring. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on for at least their first winter in the greenhouse. Plant out in early summer.
Division.
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 is unlikely to succeed outdoors in Britain in any but the mildest areas of the country.
Plants do not take kindly to cultivation, but a rich soil and shade are probably the best conditions for it[1].
Range: New Zealand.
Habitat: Lowland podocarp and broad-leaved forests on North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands[2].
Edibility: Root - cooked. It is rich in starch[3]. The root is very fibrous and is used as a flavouring for beer[4].
Fruit - raw or cooked. Dry and uninteresting[5][4]. The fruit is about 8mm in diameter[6].
Young shoots - cooked. They taste like fresh green beans[4].
Sap. It is obtained by blowing it out of short cut sections of the stem[4].
Medicinal: Antirheumatic, skin, stomachic, vulnerary[7]. The burnt stems and sap are used to cauterize wounds[7].
Usage: The stems are used in basket making and also to make rope ladders[2][8][7][9]. The stems are strong enough to be used as they are to make a rope[9].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Allan, Harry. Flora of New Zealand. Government Printer Publications, 1961.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Crowe, Andrew. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Hodder and Stoughton, 1990.
- ↑ Brooker, Stanley. Economic Native Plants of New Zealand. Oxford University Press, 1991.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Laing, Robert. Plants of New Zealand. Whitcombe and Tombs Ltd, 1907.