Chinese herbal morinda, Chinese morinda
Morinda officinalis
Family: Rubiaceae
What it is like
An evergreen woody creeper. The bark of the root is enlarged in some places to form fleshy sections 1-2 cm across. It is greyish-yellow outside. It is roughened with lines along it. There are also cracks across it. The young branches are softly hairy. The leaves are opposite and oblong. They are 6-10 cm long by 3-5 cm wide. They can taper to the tip. The leaves have a few hairs. The flowers are white and without stalks. There are 2-10 flowers joined together in a head. These are 5-9 mm across. The fruit are fleshy and made up of several parts joined together. They are yellow-red and almost round. They are 6-11 mm across. There are several woody stones inside. These are pitted and have an oblong seed.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It is native to southern China. It grows in forests on mountains between 100-500 m above sea level. It is best with temperatures of 21-23°C. It can tolerate shade.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, China, Japan, Korea
How it is used for food
The root is used fresh or dried and cooked with pork to make a broth.
It is a cultivated food plant. It is sold in local markets in China.
Edible parts
Root
How it is grown
It can ge grown from cuttings or division of the root stock.
The roots are harvested 4-5 years after planting. They are washed then spread in the sun to dry and then beaten and returned to the sun to dry.
Its other names
Local names
Ba ji, Ba ji tian, Hagekiten