Yun Lian
Coptis teeta
Family: Ranunculaceae
What it is like
Coptis teeta is an evergreen Perennial growing to 0.2 m (0ft 6in). It is in leaf all year. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.2
Where it is found
Evergreen broad-leaved forests at elevations of 1500 - 2300 metres in NW Yunnan.
E. Asia - N. China to the temperate regions of the Himalayas.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
Fruit. No more details are given but some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Medicine
Rating: 2
The root is a pungent, very bitter, cooling herb that controls bacterial and viral infections, relaxes spasms, lowers fevers and stimulates the circulation. It is locally analgesic and anaesthetic and is used in Chinese medicine as a general panacea with alterative, ophthalmic and pectoral activity. The root contains several compounds that are effective in inhibiting various bacteria and they are a safe and effective treatment for many ailments, such as some forms of dysentery, that are caused by bacteria. The root is harvested in the autumn and can be used fresh or dried.
Alterative: Causes a gradual beneficial change in the body, usually through improved nutrition and elimination, without having any marked specific action.
Anaesthetic: Numbs the feeling in a local or general area of the body.
Analgesic: Relieves pain.
Antibacterial: Kills bacteria.
Antispasmodic: Relaxes muscular spasms and cramps, calming nervous irritation.
Dysentery: Used in treating dysentery - an infection of the intestines that causes diarrhoea containing blood or mucus.
Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.
Ophthalmic: Treats eye complaints.
Pectoral: Relieves respiratory diseases, a remedy for chest diseases.
Other
Rating: 3
Can be grown as a ground cover plant in the peat garden.
Ground cover: Ground Cover
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 should succeed outdoors in many parts of this country. It is cultivated as a medicinal plant in China. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Succeeds in a light moist humus-rich slightly acidic soil with a northerly aspect or light shade.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe in an ericaceous compost. Seal the pot in a polythene bag until germination takes place, which is usually within 1 - 6 months at 10°c. Stored seed should be sown as early in the year as possible. Four weeks cold stratification may be beneficial. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a shady part of the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out in mid-autumn or in spring. Division in spring.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Ground Cover;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness:
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
Although no specific mention of toxicity has been found for this species, it belongs to a family that contains many species that are mildly toxic and so it is wise to treat this plant with some caution.