Practical
Plants

Debregeasia hypoleuca

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 or cooked[10]. Sweet but insipid and mucilaginous[5]. About the size of a pea[12][4]. Used as a flavouring[7].

Plant part
Fruit

Material uses

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

A fibre is obtained from the bark[10]. It is used for making twine and rope[11][12][13][2][3][5]. Wood - soft and light. It is not much use[5] and is mployed mainly as a fuel[10].

Product or use
Fibre
Product or use
Wood

Environment

Range
W. Asia to the W. Himalayas.
Habitat
Forests and shrubberies[12], chiefly along watercourses, 1500 - 2400 metres[4][5].
Shade tolerance
partial shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
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[6]. 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[8]. Plants tolerate occasional lows to about -5°c[9]. This species is probably not very hardy in Britain and will probably require greenhouse protection, though it might be possible to grow it outdoors in the mildest areas of the country, especially if it is given the protection of a warm wall. 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

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  2. ? Encyclopaedia Britannica. 15th edition.

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  3. Kamen. B. Siberian Ginseng.

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  4. Gamble. J. S. A Manual of Indian Timbers. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 1972-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  5. Gupta. B. L. Forest Flora of Chakrata, Dehra Dun and Saharanpur. Forest Research Institute Press 1945-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

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

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

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

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  9. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-330-37376-5

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  10. Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-527-6

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

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  12. Polunin. O. and Stainton. A. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press 1984-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

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