Practical
Plants

Debregeasia edulis

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Debregeasia genus in the family Urticaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Fertility
self sterile
Flower type
dioecious

Uses

Edible uses

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

Fruit - raw[7][9][2]. Pleasantly sweet, they are said to resemble strawberries[4].

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.

A decoction of the leaves and/or the fruits is sudorific[6]. The leaves are decocted with Pterocarya spp and used in the treatment of itch[6].

Product or use
Diaphoretic

Environment

Range
E. Asia - C. and S. Japan.
Habitat
Not known
Shade tolerance
partial 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 late winter to mid-summer in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 2 months at 20°c[3]. 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. Softwood cuttings in early summer[1].

Cultivation

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

Prefers a fertile well-drained loam with some shelter at the hottest part of the day[5]. Plants are not very hardy in Britain, they require greenhouse protection[1]. It might be possible to grow this plant outdoors in the mildest areas of the country, especially if it is given the protection of a warm wall. The fruit is difficult to harvest because the it is tender and falls apart easily, therefore it is not suitable for commercial cultivation[4]. The fruit remains on the plant for several weeks and looks particularly ornamental[4]. Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed and fruit is required.

References

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

    ↩1↩2

  2. ? Encyclopaedia Britannica. 15th edition.

    ↩

  3. Bird. R. (Editor) Focus on Plants. Volume 5. (formerly 'Growing from seed') Thompson and Morgan. 1991-00-00

    ↩

  4. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

  7. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

  8. Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965-00-00

  9. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩

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