medicinal herbs
Securinega suffruticosa
 

• Medicinal herbs
• Natural herbs
• Latin names
• Common names

Herb latin name: Securinega suffruticosa

Synonyms: Pharnaceum suffruticosum, Securinega ramiflora, Xylophylla ramiflora

Family: Euphorbiaceae (Spurge Family)

Medicinal use of Securinega suffruticosa:

This plant is commonly used in Chinese herbalism, where it is considered to be one of the 50 fundamental herbs. It is used in the treatment of contusions and nervous paralysis. The plant contains securinine, this acts as a stimulant on the central nervous system - it is particularly useful in the treatment of facial paralysis and is also thought to be of value in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.

Description of the plant:

Habitat of the herb:

Thickets and grassy slopes in C. and S. Japan.

Edible parts of Securinega suffruticosa:

Young budlings, dried and steeped in water. (Does this refer to the leaf buds or the flower buds?) Fruit. No further details are given.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - we have no information for this species but would suggest sowing the seed as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. It should germinate freely in spring. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in sand in a frame.

Cultivation of Securinega suffruticosa:

Thickets and grassy slopes in C. and S. Japan.

Known hazards of Securinega suffruticosa:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.