Zhi Mu
Anemarrhena asphodeloides
Family: Asphodelaceae
What it is like
Anemarrhena asphodeloides is an evergreen Perennial growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in) by 1 m (3ft 3in). It is in flower from August to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland). It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.
Height (m): 0.5
Where it is found
Mountain woodlands. Exposed slopes and hills. Scrub, grassy slopes, steppes, sunny and sandy hillsides from near sea level to 1500 metres.
E. Asia - N. China and Japan.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 0
Medicine
Rating: 3
The rhizome is anti-fungal, antiseptic, bitter, diuretic, expectorant, febrifuge, hypoglycaemic, laxative, lenitive, sedative and tonic. It has an antibacterial action, inhibiting the growth of Bacillus dysenteriae, B. typhi, B. paratyphi, Proteus and Pseudomonas. It is taken internally in the treatment of high fevers in infectious diseases, TB, chronic bronchitis, diabetes and urinary problems. It should not be given to patients with diarrhoea and should be administered with caution since when taken in excess it can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure. Externally, it is used as a mouthwash in the treatment of ulcers. The rhizome is harvested in the autumn and dried for later use.
Antianxiety: Helps relieve anxiety. See also Nervine and Sedative.
Antifungal: An agent that inhibits or destroys fungi. Used in the treatment of various fungal problems such as candida.
Antiseptic: Preventing sepsis, decay or putrefaction, it destroys or arrests the growth of micro-organisms.
Bitter: Increases the appetite and stimulates digestion by acting on the mucous membranes of the mouth. Also increases the flow of bile, stimulates repair of the gut wall lining and regulates the secretion of insulin and glucogen.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Expectorant: Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.
Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.
Hypoglycaemic: Reduces the levels of sugar in the blood.
Laxative: Stimulates bowel movements in a fairly gentle manner.
Lenitive: Soothing, palliative.
Sedative: Gently calms, reducing nervousness, distress and irritation.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Urinary: Treats urinary problems, including urinary tract infection (UTI).
Other
Rating:
The root contains about 6% saponins. Saponins make an excellent soap, having a gentle cleansing effect on the skin and clothes without removing the natural body oils from the skin. To extract the saponins it is usually sufficient to cut the root into thin slices and then gently simmer in water.
Soap: Plants used directly as a soap substitute.
How it is grown
Requires a rich moist neutral to acid soil that is rich in organic matter, in a position in partial or dappled shade. Plants are tolerant of strong winds. Plants can be naturalized in wild or woodland gardens and other moist shaded situations that approximate to their natural wooded mountain habitats. This species is not hardy in all parts of Britain, it tolerates temperatures down to at least -5°c. This plant is occasionally cultivated in China as a medicinal herb. The fragrant flowers open in the evening.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame, it usually germinates in the spring. Stored seed should be sown in late winter or early spring in a cold frame. It sometimes germinates within 1 - 3 months at 15°c, but may take a year. The seed should be completely separated from the fruit and should only just be covered by soil. If the seed has been sown thinly enough, then it is possible to leave the seedlings in the pot for their first growing season, dividing them after they become dormant. Make sure to give them liquid feeds at intervals through the spring and summer. Otherwise prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle. Plant out in late spring or early summer at the beginning of their second or third years growth. Division in spring as new growth is just commencing.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness:
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
It should not be given to patients with diarrhoea and should be administered with caution since when taken in excess it can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure