Herb latin name: Rhamnus japonica


Synonyms: Rhamnus globosus, Rhamnus japonicus


Family: Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn Family)



Medicinal use of Rhamnus japonica:

Febrifuge, laxative, skin. The fruit and the bark are emetic and laxative.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
3 m
(9 3/4 foot)

Flowering:
May

Habitat of the herb:

Found all over Japan.

Edible parts of Rhamnus japonica:

Leaves. No more details but some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Other uses of the herb:

A green dye is obtained from the branches. Wood - close grained. Used for furniture.

Propagation of Rhamnus japonica:

Seed - best sown in the autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed will require 1 - 2 months cold stratification at about 5°C and should be sown as early in the year as possible in a cold frame or outdoor seedbed. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle, and grow them on in the greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, autumn in a frame. Layering in early spring.

Cultivation of the herb:

Found all over Japan.

Known hazards of Rhamnus japonica:

Although no specific mention of toxicity has been found for this species, there is the suggestion that some members of this genus could be mildly poisonous.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.