Japanese Atractylodes
Atractylodes japonica
Family: Asteraceae or Compositae
What it is like
Atractylodes japonica is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.8 m (2ft 7in). It is in flower from August to October, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant). 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) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.8
Where it is found
Hills and mountains of central and southern Japan. Forests and forest margins at elevations of 200 - 800 metres in Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces of eastern China.
E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Buds and young leaves. No more details are given. Root - cooked. A famine food used when all else fails.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Medicine
Rating: 3
The rhizome is commonly used in Chinese and Korean herbal medicine. It is antiemetic, appetizer, diaphoretic, digestive, diuretic, stomachic and tonic. The rhizome contains several medically active constituents including an essential oil and sesquiterpenes. It has been shown to help lower blood sugar levels and to exert a protective influence on the liver. It is used in the treatment of gastro-intestinal disorders such as diarrhoea, water retention, mastitis, fistula, rheumatoid arthritis and night blindness.
Antiemetic: Prevents vomiting.
Appetizer: Improves the appetite
Digestive: Aids digestion.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Expectorant: Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.
Hepatic: Acts on the liver (for better or worse!).
Hypoglycaemic: Reduces the levels of sugar in the blood.
Stomachic: Aids and improves the action of the stomach.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it could succeed outdoors in many parts of this country. This species is closely related to A. lancea. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Succeeds in any well-drained soil in sun or partial shade. This species is dioecious. Both male and female plants need to be grown if seed is required. Another report says that the plant is monoecious, bearing both female and bisexual flowers.
Propagating it: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame and only just cover the seed. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in the following spring or early summer.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness:
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist