Practical
Plants

Debregeasia longifolia

Wild Rhea

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
Flower type
monoecious

Uses

Edible uses

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

Fruit - raw or cooked[3][5][9]. The fruit is up to 12mm in diameter[6].

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 juice of the leaves is applied to areas of the skin affected by scabies[9].

Product or use
Parasiticide

Material uses

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

A strong fibre is obtained from the stem bark[9]. It is used for making twine and rope[2][3]. Wood is used mainly for fuel[9].

Product or use
Fibre

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China to the Himalayas.
Habitat
Mainly found on old cultivated land to 2100 metres in the Himalayas[2]. Along the banks of streams at elevations of 500 - 2200 metres in Nepal[9].
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[4]. 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[6]. Plants tolerate occasional lows to about -5°c[7]. 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. A very variable species[8]. 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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2

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

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

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