Wu Zhu Yu
Euodia ruticarpa

Family: Rutaceae

What it is like

Euodia ruticarpa is a deciduous Tree growing to 10 m (32ft 10in). The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. 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): 10

Where it is found

Inner valleys of Sikkim, 2000 - 3000 metres.

E. Asia - China to the Himalayas.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 0

Medicine

Rating: 3

Wu Zhu Yu has a marked warming effect on the body, helping to relieve headaches and a wide range of digestive problems. The fruit is analgesic, anthelmintic, appetizer, astringent, carminative, decongestant, deobstruent, diuretic, stimulant, stomachic and uterotonic. It is used in the treatment of gastritis, nausea, headaches, oedema, beriberi and post-partum pains. The partially ripe fruit is gathered in late summer and can be dried for later use. The root bark is astringent and vermifuge. Extracts of the plant show antiviral, antitumor and anti-inflammatory activity. This species was ranked 14th in a Chinese survey of 250 potential antifertility plants.

Analgesic: Relieves pain.

Anodyne: Relieves pain, it is milder than an analgesic.

Anthelmintic: Expels parasites from the gut.

Antiinflammatory: Reduces inflammation of joints, injuries etc.

Antitumor: Preventing, or effective against, tumors, it is used in the treatment of cancer. Probably synonymous with Cytotoxic.

Antiviral: Treats virus diseases

Appetizer: Improves the appetite

Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.

Carminative: Reduces flatulence and expels gas from the intestines.

Contraceptive: Prevents fertilization occurring in females.

Deobstruent: Clears obstructions from the natural ducts of the body.

Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.

Miscellany: Various medicinal actions that need more clarification.

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.

Stomachic: Aids and improves the action of the stomach.

Other

Rating:

Miscellany: A rag-bag of items that are difficult to categorise.

How it is grown

We have almost no information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its habitat it should succeed outdoors in the milder areas of the country. It is quite possible that Tetradium ruticarpum is the correct name for this species. Judging by the needs of other members of this genus it is probably easily grown in a good loamy soil.

Propagating it: Seed - sow February in a greenhouse. Variable germination rates. 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. Give the plants some protection from the cold for their first winter outdoors. Cuttings of half-ripe wood (preferably forced in a greenhouse), 5 - 8cm with a heel, June to August in a warm greenhouse. Fair to good percentage.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;

Habit: Tree

Hardiness:

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Boymia rutaecarpa.