Wild wood-gourd
Sinofranchetia chinensis

Family: Lardizabalaceae

What it is like

An evergreen creeper or vine. The leaves are compound. They have leaflets arranged like fingers on a hand. There are 3-5 leaflets. The size and shapes vary. They are oblong and 6-10 cm long by 3-5 cm wide. The male and female flowers are separate on the same plant. They are greenish-purple with an unpleasant smell. The fruit is narrowly oval and pale purplish blue. It is 2 cm long by 1.5 cm wide. The seeds are oval and 4-6 mm long.

There is only one Sinofranchetia species.

Where it is found

It is a subtropical plant. It grows in dense forests along rivers. It is recorded between 1,000-2,000 m above sea level. In Sichuan and Yunnan. It suits hardiness zone 6.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Britain, China (country/location of origin), Europe

How it is used for food

The ripe fruit are eaten. They are also used for wine and jelly.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from fresh seeds. Cuttings of half ripe wood can also be used.

It is fast growing. In China the plants flower May to June and fruit September to October.

Its other names

Local names

Chuan guo teng

Synonyms

Holboellia chinensis (Franchet) Diels; Parvatia chinensis Franchet;