Herb latin name: Symplocos sumuntiia


Synonyms: Symplocos caudata, Symplocos prunifolia


Family: Symplocaceae (Sweetleaf Family)



Medicinal use of Symplocos sumuntiia:

The leaves are used in the treatment of dysentery.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Tree

Height:
6 m
(20 feet)

Flowering:
February
to October

Habitat of the herb:

Woods, 1000 - 1300 metres in W. Hupeh. Mixed forests at elevations of 100 - 1800 metres.

Edible parts of Symplocos sumuntiia:

Leaves - cooked. A sweetish/sour taste. The leaves are also used as a food colouring and a flavouring. Seed. No more details are given.

Other uses of the herb:

A purplish/black dye is obtained from the plant, it does not require a mordant. No more details are given, the dye is probably obtained from the leaves. A decoction with ginger is used as a parasiticide and is effective against fleas. The part used is not specified. We have no specific information for this species but many species in this genus contain alum and can be used as mordants when dyeing.

Propagation of Symplocos sumuntiia:

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Stored seed requires stratification and is best sown in a cold frame in late winter, it can take 12 months to germinate. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the cold frame for their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in individual pots in a cold frame. Roots are formed in about 4 weeks. Good percentage.

Cultivation of the herb:

Woods, 1000 - 1300 metres in W. Hupeh. Mixed forests at elevations of 100 - 1800 metres.

Known hazards of Symplocos sumuntiia:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.