Practical
Plants

Cynanchum sibiricum

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

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Woodiness
woody
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[3].

Edible uses

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

Leaves - cooked[1][2]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity. Seedpods[1][2]. No further details but we assume that they need to be cooked. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity. Seed[3]. No further details are given, this could refer to the seedpod instead of the seed.

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Seed
Plant part
Seedpod

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Climber

Environment

Range
E. Asia - Manchuria.
Habitat
See below.
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 - sow spring in the greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in spring.

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 should succeed outdoors in many 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]. There is a lot of confusion over the correct name of this species. According to the Russian flora C. sibiricum. (L.)R.Br. is a synonym of Antitoxicum sibiricum. (L.)Pobed. a perennial that grows to 45cm on sandhills, in pine woods, steppe and rocky slopes from W. Siberia to China. The same flora mentions C. sibiricum. Willd, a perennial that is very closely related to C. acutum (q.v.) and grows on tugail soils by rivers and brooks, irrigation canals, alluvial and sand dunes[4]. We cannot be sure which of these species is meant in the reports of edibility.

References

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2

  4. Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968-00-00

    ↩

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