Herb latin name: Clematis apiifolia


Family: Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)



Medicinal use of Clematis apiifolia:

An infusion of the stems is used in the treatment of colic, dysentery, dyspepsia and sweating. The plant is carminative and digestive. It is also used in the treatment of dysentery.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Climber

Height:
5 m
(16 feet)

Flowering:
September
to October

Habitat of the herb:

Thickets in lowland and foothills, C. and S. Japan. Forests, grassy slopes and along the sides of streams at elevations of 100 - 2300 metres in China.

Edible parts of Clematis apiifolia:

Young shoots - cooked and used as a vegetable. Caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity. The dried leaves are a tea substitute. The roasted leaves are used according to another report.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Sow stored seed as soon as it is obtained in a cold frame. Pre-soak the seed for 12 hours in warm water and remove as much of the tail and outer coat as possible. A period of cold stratification is beneficial. The seed germinates in 1 - 9 months or more at 20°C. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a cold frame for the first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Internodal cuttings of soft to semi-ripe wood, late spring in sandy soil in a frame. Layering of old stems in late winter or early spring. Layering of current seasons growth in early summer.

Cultivation of Clematis apiifolia:

Thickets in lowland and foothills, C. and S. Japan. Forests, grassy slopes and along the sides of streams at elevations of 100 - 2300 metres in China.

Known hazards of Clematis apiifolia:

Although no reports of toxicity have been seen for this species, some if not all members of this genus are mildly poisonous. The toxic principle is dissipated by heat or by drying.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.