False black pepper, White-flowered Embelia
Embelia ribes
Family: Primulaceae
What it is like
Other common names include False Black Pepper, Vidanga, Nainidang, and Vavding. Memory Improver or otherwise known as White-flowered Embelia (Embelia ribes) is a tropical bush or climbing shrub of usually 20-35 m long and 1-2 m tall. It has purple or red stalks. It is used in Ayurveda medicine. Dried seeds are powdered and used to kill tapeworms. Paste of the berries is used for skin conditions and headache. Leaves are combined with ginger and used as a mouthwash to treat ulcers and sore throats. Bark paste is used to treat pneumonia and other lung diseases. Root infusion is for coughs and diarrhoea. Young leaves and shoots, on the other hand, are edible and usually eaten raw. The fruit has a sour-sweet flavour. It can be eaten raw as well or made into refreshing drink. Young stems are chewed as a delicacy. Crushed fresh bark is used to repel leeches.
Embelia ribes is an evergreen Climber growing to 15 m (49ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland). It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 15
Where it is found
Forest or at forest borders at elevations from sea level to 1,500 metres.
E. Asia - southern China, India, Malaysia, Indo-China and Indonesia.
Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Australia, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, SE Asia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam,
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Edible portion: Leaves, Fruit, Spice. Young leaves and shoots - raw. Often used as a side-dish with rice, when the leaves are usually mixed with other greens. An acid flavour, the leaves can be used as a substitute for tamarind in soups and vegetable dishes. Fruit - raw. A sour-sweet flavour, they are eaten as a delicacy, mostly by children. The dried fruit is used as an adulterant of black pepper. A sweet, refreshing drink can be prepared from the leaves and the fruits. The young stems are chewed as a delicacy.
Stem: this often intergrades into leaves.
Condiment: the various plants that are used as flavourings, either as herbs, spices or condiments.
Drink: not including plant saps, tea or coffee substitutes.
Medicine
Rating: 4
The dried berries (seeds) are alterative, anthelmintic, carminative and stimulant. An aqueous extract of the berries has shown antifertility activity. The powdered berries are widely used to kill tapeworms - castor oil is taken later in order to expel the dead worm. A paste of the berries is used to treat skin problems such as ringworm. The paste, mixed with oil, has been used as a poultice to treat headaches. The pulp is purgative. The fresh juice is cooling, diuretic and laxative. The leaves, combined with ginger, have been used as a mouth wash to treat ulcers and sore throats. A paste of the bark is applied to the chest to treat lung diseases such as pneumonia. An infusion of the roots is given to treat coughs and diarrhoea. A major component of the ayurvedic medicine Amrit kalash.
Alterative: Causes a gradual beneficial change in the body, usually through improved nutrition and elimination, without having any marked specific action.
Anthelmintic: Expels parasites from the gut.
Antidiarrhoeal: Provides symptomatic relief for diarrhoea. Also see Astringent.
Antitussive: Prevents or relieves coughing.
Carminative: Reduces flatulence and expels gas from the intestines.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Laxative: Stimulates bowel movements in a fairly gentle manner.
Mouthwash: Treats problems such as mouth ulcers.
Parasiticide: Treats external parasites such as ringworm This should perhaps be joined with Parasiticide in
Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.
Purgative: A drastic laxative causing a cleansing or watery evacuation of the bowels, usually with a griping pain.
Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.
Stimulant: Excites or quickens activity of the physiological processes. Faster acting than a tonic but differing from a narcotic in that it does not give a false sense of well-being.
Other
Rating: 2
Other Uses: The crushed fresh bark is used to repel leeches.
Parasiticide: Kills external body parasites such as hair lice.
Repellent: Plants that are said to deter but not necessarily kill various mammals, birds, insects etc.
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
How it is grown
Prefers partial shade. Saplings can be planted next to tree species. As a woody climber needs support. Harvesting after two years. Cultivated in all soil types. Well-drained, light soils or sandy loam are best.
Propagating it: Plants can be grown from seeds. The ideal time for seed collection in the summer/monsoon - rainy season. Mature seeds of E. ribes are purple to black unlike red colored seeds of E. basaal. Propagation can be achieved through seed germination and through stem cuttings. Pencil sized stem cuttings of 1.0-1.5 cm thickness bearing 3 nodes are planted 3 cm deep in polybags and kept in shade.
Best place to grow:
Habit: Climber
Hardiness: 10-12
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
Its other names
Local names
Akar asam kubang, Akar kelimpar, Akar sulur kerang, Areuj kathembang, Aroi kachembang, Baberang, Babrung, Bai huan suan teng guo, Baibirang, Biranga, Birangi Kabuli, Butterfly pea, Chu'prek sangkong, Kakannie, Laoqiu, Madie, Memory improver, Songgui, Vaivarang, Vavading, Vayuvilanga, Vidanga, Vizhal, Vrishanasana, Wawrung, amogha, babading, baberang, babrang, babrug, babrung, baobarang, barang, baranj, baranj kabuli, bhabhiranga, bidanga, bidongo, biranga, biranj kabuli, false pepper, jantughna, karkannie, kirmighna, krmighna, krmihara, krmiripu, kera?am, k?mighna, k?mihara, k?miripu, lumping seladang, silgilla, tiruvittikanni, vaividang, vaividungalu, vara?ai, var?a?ai, vavading, vavaring, vavding, vayavadang, vayavidanga, vayuvidanga, vayuvidangalu, vayuvidangam, vayuvilanga, vayuvilangam, vella, vidang, vidanga, vishalam, vizalari, vizhalari, vi?a?ga (fruit)), vayuvi?a?kam, vayvi?a?kam (fruit).
Synonyms
Embelia garciniifolia Wall. ex Miq. Embelia glandulifera Wight