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Berchemia lineata

Common name:		Family:	Rhamnaceae
Author:	DC.	Botanical references:	11, 200
Synonyms:	Rhamnus lineatus (L.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - C. and N. China to the Himalayas.
Habitat:	On rocks and in forests, 2000 - 2700 metres in the Himalayas[146]. Scrub thickets in dry places at elevations of 2400 - 4000 metres in Nepal[272].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Rhamnus lineata[G]
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	lineata = linear;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Rhamnales. Buckthorn family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	China; Indochina

Physical Characteristics

A decidious climber growing to 5m. It is hardy to zone 8. It is in flower from July to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 1/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge.

Edible Uses

Fruit.

Fruit. - raw or cooked[177, 272]. Only eat the fruit when it is black ripe[105]. The fruit is not very freely produced in Britain[1]. The fruit is about 8mm in diameter[200].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Febrifuge.

The plant has been used as a febrifuge[240].

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Requires a good moist well-drained loam, succeeding in full sun if the soil does not dry out otherwise it is best in light shade[11, 200].
This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c[200].
Suitable for growing along fences, against walls with wire supports or for growing through other shrubs[200]. Plants climb by means of twining around supports[182].
Closely related to B. edgeworthii[182].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring or autumn in a cold frame[200]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[200].
Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, November to January in a frame.
Root cuttings in winter[200].
Layering of young stems in winter[200].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Web References

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Rhamnaceae.

To be included in the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[146] Gamble. J. S. A Manual of Indian Timbers. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 1972
Written last century, but still a classic, giving a lot of information on the uses and habitats of Indian trees. Not for the casual reader.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[240] Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
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We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.