Practical
Plants

Cornus chinensis

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Cornus genus in the family Cornaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Cornaceae
Genus
Cornus
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Height
10 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

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

The following notes refer to the closely related species C. officinalis, they probably also apply to this species[K]:- Fruit - raw or cooked[2][10]. The fully ripe fruit is quite pleasant but slightly astringent[K]. It is about 1.5cm long[14]. The fruit contains about 8.6% sugars, 2.9% malic acid, 0.74% ash[12].

Plant part
Fruit

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 fruit is used medicinally for similar treatments as Cornus officinalis[19]. These are:- Shan Zhu Yu has been used for at least 2,000 years in Chinese herbal medicine. It is a herb that \"stabilizes and binds\" and is used principally to reduce heavy menstrual bleeding and unusually active secretions including copious sweating, excessive urine, spermatorrhoea and premature ejaculation[6][17][18]. Like all herbs that suppress bodily fluids (even excessive ones), it will simply prolong or lead to a worsening of symptoms if it is used without tonic or detoxifying herbs[18]. It is, therefore, normally used in combination with herbs such as Rehmannia glutinosa and is an ingredient of the \"Pill of eight ingredients\" which is used in China to \"warm up and invigorate the yang of the loins\"[18]. The fruit is antibacterial, antifungal, hypotensive, antitumor, astringent, diuretic, hepatic and tonic[5][6][9][11][17]. The fruit, without the seed, is decocted for the treatment of arthritis, fever and a wide range of other ailments[15]. It is used in the treatment of senile lumbago, diabetes, cystitis, tinnitus etc[8][18]. The fruit has an antibacterial action, inhibiting the growth of Bacillus dysenteriae and Staphylococcus[9]. The fruit is harvested when fully ripe and is dried for later use[17]. The stem bark is astringent, antimalarial and tonic[15]. The plant is antibacterial, diuretic, hypotensive and a urinary antiseptic[15].

Product or use
Antibacterial
Product or use
Antifungal
Product or use
Antiperiodic
Product or use
Antiseptic
Product or use
Antitumor
Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Hepatic
Product or use
Hypotensive
Product or use
Tonic

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Canopy, Secondary canopy

Environment

Range
E. Asia - C. and S. China.
Habitat
Slopes, margins of mixed forests and dense forests at elevations of 700 - 2500, occasionally to 3500 metres[19].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame or in an outdoors seedbed if there is sufficient seed[21][4]. The seed must be separated from the fruit flesh since this contains germination inhibitors[21][7]. Stored seed should be cold stratified for 3 - 4 months and sown as early as possible in the year[7]. Scarification may also help as may a period of warm stratification before the cold stratification[21][7]. Germination, especially of stored seed, can be very slow, taking 18 months or more[7]. Prick out the seedlings of cold-frame sown seeds into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow the plants on for their first winter in a greenhouse, planting out in the spring after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe side shoots, July/August in a frame. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, taken with a heel if possible, autumn in a cold frame. High percentage[20]. Layering of new growth in June/July. Takes 9 months[20].

Cultivation

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

An easily grown plant, it succeeds in any soil of good or moderate fertility[1], ranging from acid to shallow chalk[14]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Succeeds in full sun or light shade[[13]. Prefers semi-shade[16]. Plants are not very cold-tolerant, they succeed outdoors only in the milder areas of the country where winter temperatures do not fall below about -5°c[3][14]. A specimen growing in a fairly open sunny position at Kew Gardens in April 1999 was about 10 years old and 2 metres tall. It had no sign of flowers, though it is obviously more cold hardy than believed since it has already tolerated temperatures rather lower than -5°c[K]. This species is very closely related to C. mas and C. officinalis, differing mainly in having black instead of red fruit[3][14]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[14].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

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  3. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  4. Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0942375009

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  5. Brooklyn Botanic Garden Oriental Herbs and Vegetables, Vol 39 No. 2. Brooklyn Botanic Garden 1986-00-00

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  6. ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X

    ↩1↩2

  7. Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  8. Kariyone. T. Atlas of Medicinal Plants.

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

    ↩1↩2

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

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

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  12. Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977-00-00

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  13. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

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  14. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  15. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩1↩2↩3

  16. Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-00-219220-0

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

  18. Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996-00-00 ISBN 9-780751-303148

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

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

    ↩1↩2

  20. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  21. McMillan-Browse. P. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-901361-21-6

    ↩1↩2↩3

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