Practical
Plants

Cynanchum ascyrifolium

Cruel Plant

a perennial member of the Cynanchum genus in the family Asclepiadaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.7 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

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

There are some reports of toxins in this genus[1].

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 root is diuretic and febrifuge[3].

Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Febrifuge

Environment

Range
E. Asia - northern China, Japan and Korea.
Habitat
Sunny meadows in the mountains of central Honshu, Japan, at elevations of 800 - 1800 metres[2]. Thickets in hills and mountains in Korea[3].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

Seed -

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 at least in the milder parts of this country. It probably does not have any special cultivation requirements and will probably succeed in most soils in a sunny position[K].

References

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

    ↩

  2. Flora of Japan www.foj.info

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

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