Practical
Plants

Pyrularia pubera

Oil Nut

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Pyrularia genus in the family Santalaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Height
3.5 m
Fertility
self sterile
Flower type
dioecious

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.

The whole plant, especially the fruit, contains an acrid poisonous oil[7].

Edible uses

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

Fruit[3][8][9]. Caution is advised since the fruit is said to be permeated with an acrid oil[1][7]. The pear-shaped fruit is about 25mm long[4]. An edible oil is obtained from the seed[2]. Is this different from the acrid poisonous oil of the fruit?[K]

Plant part
Fruit
Product or use
Oil

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 plant has been used as a salve on old sores[6]. The seed has been chewed to cause vomiting in the treatment of colic[6].

Product or use
Emetic
Product or use
Salve

Environment

Range
Eastern N. America - W. Vancouver to Alabama.
Habitat
Rich woods[5], where it is parasitic on the roots of deciduous trees and shrubs[7], most commonly on Tsuga carolina[1].
Shade tolerance
partial shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 4+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe into a pot containing a small host tree. Stored seed will require 3 months cold stratification before it is sown[4]. Grow on in a cold frame until the plant is large enough to plant out and then plant it close to a mature host tree. Remove the small host tree once the plant is well established[4].

Cultivation

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

Parasitic on the roots of a range of trees and shrubs, but most commonly Tsuga carolina, this plant needs to grow close to a host tree. It requires a well-drained but moisture retentive lime-free soil[4].

References

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩

  3. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  5. Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22642-5

    ↩

  6. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2

  7. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

    ↩

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

    ↩

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