Sapium sebiferum
| Sapium sebiferum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 9 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 30' |
| Width: | 16' |
| Speed: | Fast |
| Blooms: | Mid Winter-Late Winter |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Sapium sebiferum (common name: vegetable tallow)
Propagation: Seed - do not cold stratify the seed since this can lead to secondary dormancy. Sown in April in a warm greenhouse, it usually germinates within 4 weeks[1]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Overwinter in a greenhouse for at least their first 2 winters and plant out in late spring.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame.
Cultivation: Succeeds in a sunny position in any well-drained soil[2]. Grows well on canal banks, steep mountain slopes, granite hills and sandy beaches, succeeding in alkaline, saline or acid soils[3]. It is said to thrive in alluvial forests, on low alluvial plains, and on rich leaf-molds, growing best in well-drained clayey-peat soils[3]. Requires the protection of a south or south-west wall when grown in areas at the limits of its hardiness[2]. Favourable climatic conditions are mean air temperatures of 12.5 to 30.1°C, and an annual precipitation from 130 to 370cm[3].
This tree is not reliably hardy in Britain, though it was successfully grown here in the 18th century[4]. It is able to withstand a few degrees of frost, but unripened twigs are particularly susceptible to frost injury[3]. It succeeds outdoors in the milder parts of Britain when grown in a woodland garden[5].
A fast-growing tree[6], it is much cultivated in warm temperate regions for its seeds which are a source of vegetable tallow, a drying oil and protein food[3]. The fruits yield two types of fats - the outer covering of the seeds contains a solid fat with a low iodine value and is known as Chinese Vegetable Tallow whilst the kernels produce a drying oil with high iodine value which is called Stillingia Oil[4][7][3]. Many named varietis have been developed in the Orient, especially in Taiwan, for improved oil production[3].
Plants require from 3 - 8 years to bear, but then continue to bear for an average of 70 - 100 years. They attain their full size in 10 - 12 years[3]. Yields of 14 tonnes of seed per hectare, containing 2.6 tonnes of oil and 2.8 tones of tallow have been achieved[3]. This yield could increase with age[3].
The plant has escaped from cultivation in N. America and has become a serious pest there, displacing native vegetation. It apparently produces root secretions that modify soil chemistry and discourage the establishment of native species[8].
Responds well to coppicing[9].
Range: E. Asia - China, Japan, Himalayas.
Habitat: Found wild in the foothills around Dehra Dun[9].
Edibility: The wax from the seed is used as a lard substitute or in cacao butter[10][11]. The seed contains 8.1 - 9.2% protein and 40.5 - 50.7% fat[12].
Medicinal: The leaves and the roots are depurative, diuretic and laxative[13][14][15]. A decoction is used in the treatment of oedema, constipation, poisoning by two plants - Polygonum perfoliatum and Tripterygium wilfordii, skin diseases etc[14][12]. The leaves are particularly useful for treating boils[12].
The seed is antidote, emetic, hydragogue and purgative[12]. In China it is taken internally, which is a rather questionable practice considering its toxic nature[12].
The root bark is diuretic[12]. It is used in the treatment of snake bites and skin ulcers[12].
The juice of the tree (the sap is probably meant here[K]) is acrid and vesicant[16].
Usage: The seed is coated with a wax. This wax, which comprises about 24% of the seed[3], can be used to make candles and soap[17][13][4][18][19][20]. It has excellent burning quality, and gives an inodorous clear bright flame[3]. The wax is also used for making soap, cloth dressing and fuel[3]. Pure tallow fat is known in commerce as Pi-yu[3]. The wax is separated from the seed by steeping it in hot water and skimming off the wax as it floats to the surface[9][21]. The wax is solid at temperatures below 40°c[9]. It is said to change grey hair to black[12].
The seed contains about 20% of a drying oil[3]. It is used to make candles and soap[4][9][21]. The oil is used in making varnishes and native paints because of its quick-drying properties[3]. It is also used in machine oils and as a crude lamp oil[3]. The pure oil expressed from the inner part of the seeds is known in commerce as Ting-yu[3].
The residual cake, after the oil is expressed, is used as manure, particularly for tobacco fields[3].
The leaves are rich in tannin[15], a black dye can be obtained by boiling them in alum water[19][9][21][3].The plant is used as a soil binder along the sides of roads and canals[3].
The wood is white, even and close grained, light, soft or moderately hard[21][3]. It is suitable for carving and is also used for making blocks in Chinese printing, furniture making and incense[3].
The wood is light and soft. It is used for fuel[3].
Pollinators: Insects, bees
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Late Fall
Flower Type: Monoecious
Known Hazards: The sap is poisonous[2].
Also Known As: Croton sebiferus. Stillingia sebifera.
Links
References
- ↑ Dirr, Michael and Charles Heuser. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press, 1987.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 Duke, James. Handbook of Energy Crops. 1983.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ Taylor, Jane. The Milder Garden. Dent, 1990.
- ↑ Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ Wilson, Ernest and Charles Sargent. Plantae Wilsonianae.
- ↑ Diggs, George and Barney Lipscomb. Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas. Botanical Research Institute, 1999.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 Gamble, James. A Manual of Indian Timbers. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, 1972.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.7 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Revolutionary Health Committee of Hunan Province. A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 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.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Heywood, Vernon. Flowering Plants of the World. Oxford University Press.
- ↑ Hill, Albert. Economic Botany. The Maple Press, 1952.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 Gupta, Basant. Forest Flora of Chakrata, Dehra Dun and Saharanpur. Forest Research Institute Press, 1945.