Herb: Golden Evergreen Raspberry


Latin name: Rubus ellipticus


Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)



Medicinal use of Golden Evergreen Raspberry:

The plant is astringent and febrifuge. A decoction of the root, combined with Girardinia diversifolia root and the bark of Lagerstroemia parviflora, is used in the treatment of fevers. The juice of the root is used in the treatment of fevers, gastric troubles, diarrhoea and dysentery. A paste of the roots is applied externally to wounds. Both the roots and the young shoots are considered to be a good treatment for colic. The leaf buds, combined with Centella asiatica and Cynodon dactylon, are pounded to a juice and used in the treatment of peptic ulcers. The juice of the fruit is used in the treatment of fever, colic, coughs and sore throat. The inner bark is used in Tibetan medicine, it is said to have a sweet and sour flavour plus a heating potency. A renal tonic and antidiuretic, it is used in the treatment of weakening of the senses, vaginal/seminal discharge, polyuria and micturation during sleep.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
4.5 m
(15 feet)

Habitat of the herb:

Shrubberies and open hillsides, to 2300 metres in the Himalayas. Dry slopes, montane valleys, sparse forests and thickets at elevations of 1000 - 2600 metres.

Edible parts of Golden Evergreen Raspberry:

Fruit - raw or cooked. A good raspberry-like flavour. Sweet with a pleasant blend of acidity. he golden yellow fruit is about 10mm in diameter. Annual yields from wild plants in the Himalayas are about 750g from a plant occupying 2.5m?. The fruit contains about 10.9% sugars, 1.1% protein, 0.5% ash, 0.55 pectin.

Other uses of the herb:

A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit. The plant is grown to deter soil erosion and is good for soil conservation.

Propagation of Golden Evergreen Raspberry:

Seed - requires stratification and is best sown in early autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires one month stratification at about 3°C and is best sown as early as possible in the year. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a cold frame. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Tip layering in July. Plant out in autumn. Division in early spring or just before leaf-fall in the autumn.

Cultivation of the herb:

Shrubberies and open hillsides, to 2300 metres in the Himalayas. Dry slopes, montane valleys, sparse forests and thickets at elevations of 1000 - 2600 metres.

Known hazards of Rubus ellipticus:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.