Practical
Plants

Atractylodes japonica

Japanese Atractylodes

a perennial member of the Atractylodes genus in the family Compositae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
1 m
Flower type
monoecious

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Buds and young leaves[3]. No more details are given[K]. Root - cooked. A famine food used when all else fails[3].

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Root

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The rhizome is commonly used in Chinese and Korean herbal medicine[7]. It is antiemetic, appetizer, diaphoretic, digestive, diuretic, stomachic and tonic[1][2][4][7]. The rhizome contains several medically active constituents including an essential oil and sesquiterpenes[7]. It has been shown to help lower blood sugar levels and to exert a protective influence on the liver[7]. It is used in the treatment of gastro-intestinal disorders such as diarrhoea, water retention, mastitis, fistula, rheumatoid arthritis and night blindness[1][2][4][7].

Product or use
Antiemetic
Product or use
Appetizer
Product or use
Digestive
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Expectorant
Product or use
Stomachic
Product or use
Tonic
Product or use
Hepatic
Product or use
Hypoglycaemic

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.
Habitat
Hills and mountains of central and southern Japan. Forests and forest margins at elevations of 200 - 800 metres in Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces of eastern China[6].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame and only just cover the seed. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in the following spring or early summer.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it could succeed outdoors in many parts of this country. This species is closely related to A. lancea[1]. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Succeeds in any well-drained soil in sun or partial shade[5]. This species is dioecious. Both male and female plants need to be grown if seed is required[6]. Another report says that the plant is monoecious, bearing both female and bisexual flowers[7].

References

  1. Kariyone. T. Atlas of Medicinal Plants.

    ↩1↩2↩3

  2. Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  3. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩1↩2

  4. Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre

    ↩1↩2

  5. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩

  6. Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

    ↩1↩2

  7. Medicinal Plants in the Republic of Korea World Health Organisation, Manila 1998-00-00 ISBN 92 9061 120 0

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

Edit this page