Shan dong wan shou zhu
Disporum smilacinum

Family: Colchicaceae

What it is like

A herb. It has a rhizome or underground stem. This is short. It often has creeping stolons or runners. The stem is usually simple and rarely branched. It is 15-35 cm high. The leaf stalk is distinct and 1-2 mm long. The leaf b lade is oval and 3-7 cm long by 1.5-3 cm wide. The base is rounded and it tapers to the tip. The flowering stalk is at the tip of the plant. There are 1 or sometimes 2 flowers. The flowers are white. The fruit is a black berry. It is round or oval and 1 cm across. The seeds are oval and about 4 mm across.

There are 20 Disporum species.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows in forest from near sea level to 400 m altitude in N China. It can be up to 1600 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, Japan, Korea, Russia

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Leaves, root

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Disporum smilacinum var. album Maxim.; Disporum smilacinum var. ramosum Nakai; Disporum smilacinum var. rotundatum Satake; Disporum smilacinum var. variegatum Nakai;