Chinese prickly ash
Zanthoxylum avicennae

Family: Rutaceae

What it is like

A small tree or shrub. It grows 8-14 m high. The trunk is 10-20 cm across. The trunk is straight. It has prickles on the branches. These can be straight or curved. The leaves are alternate. They are 5-30 cm long. There are 2-11 pairs of leaflets with a leaflet at the end. The leaf stalk has narrow wings. The leaflets are almost opposite and 1-8 cm long by 103 cm wide. Male and female flowers are separate. The flowers grow on side buds along the flower stalk and this arrangement can be 5-21 cm long. The flowers are 3 mm long. The flowers are white to yellow-green. The fruit is an almost round dry fruit with many seeds. It is 4.5 mm across. These can occur singly or in pairs.

There are about 200 Zanthoxylum species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in mountainous provinces. It is a light demanding tree. It is often in bushy savannah below 1500 m altitude. It is drought tolerant. It is smaller in dry open mountainous regions. In Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Pacific, Philippines, SE Asia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The seed have a sweet peppery taste. The leaves and fruit are used to flavour food.

Edible parts

Seeds, leaves, fruit, spice

How it is grown

It is fast growing.

Its other names

Local names

Adas kastela, Bagatambal, Bungi, Cay sen lai, Hoang moc, Kangai, Karangeang, Mu(oof)ng tr(oof)ng, Samirin, Truong la nho

Synonyms

Fagara avicennae Lamk.; Zanthoxylum diversifolium Warburg; Zanthoxylum tidorense Miquel;