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Bergenia ciliata

Common name:		Family:	Saxifragaceae
Author:	(Haw.)Sternb.	Botanical references:	200
Synonyms:	Saxifraga thysanodes, Saxifraga ciliata, Megasea ciliata, Bergenia ligulata (Engl.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - Himalayas from Afghanistan to E. Tibet.
Habitat:	On moist rocks and under forest shade, 1900 - 2600 metres in Kashmir[145].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	1	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	ciliata = fringed with hairs
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Rosales. Saxifrage family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	India Nepal

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen perennial growing to 0.3m by 0.5m . It is hardy to zone 7 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from March to May. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 1/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay and nutritionally poor soils. 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, Ground Cover.

Edible Uses

The flowers are boiled and then pickled[272].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Lithontripic Ophthalmic Poultice Tonic.

A juice or powder of the whole plant is used to treat urinary troubles in Nepal[272].
The juice of the leaves is used as drops to relieve earaches[272].
The root is used as a tonic in the treatment of fevers, diarrhoea and pulmonary affections[218, 240, 243]. The root juice is used to treat coughs and colds, haemorrhoids, asthma and urinary problems[272]. Externally, the root is bruised and applied as a poultice to boils and ophthalmia, it is also considered helpful in relieving backache[243, 272]. The root of this plant has a high reputation in indigenous systems of medicine for dissolving stones in the kidneys[240].

Other Uses

Ground cover Tannin.

The root contains 14 - 16% tannin[272].
A good ground cover plant[188], forming a slowly spreading clump[208, 233].

Cultivation details

Succeeds in full sun or light shade in most soils[200] but prefers a deep fertile soil that does not dry out fully[134]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Plants are at their best in a medium-heavy soil[208]. Succeeds in shade or semi-shade-[187]. The leaf colour is best when plants are grown in a poor soil in a sunny position[188]. Dislikes cold winds[197].
The plant is hardy to about -20° c, but the flowers and young leaves are rather sensitive to frost[187] so it is best to choose a position with shade from the early morning sun. This species is only hardy in sheltered gardens of south and west Britain[208]. If the leaves are cut back by frost then they are soon replaced by fresh leaves in the spring[188].
The roots of this plant are commonly collected from the wild for medicinal purposes. Overcollection in many areas of its range are a cause for conservation concern[272].
Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[233].
The different species of this genus will hybridise freely when grown near each other[233].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in a greenhouse. Make sure that the compost does not dry out. Two weeks cold stratification can speed up germination which usually takes 1 - 6 months at 15° c[134]. Fresh seed, sown as soon as it is ripe in late spring is liable to germinate better than stored seed. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in light shade 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.
Division in late spring after flowering[188] or in autumn[200]. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted straight into their permanent positions whilst smaller clumps are best potted up and kept in a cold frame until they are growing away well.

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.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Bergenia ligulata (a possible synonym).

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.

References for the family Saxifragaceae.

[CHINA] Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from 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

[134] Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan. 1988
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.

[145] Singh. Dr. G. and Kachroo. Prof. Dr. P. Forest Flora of Srinagar. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 1976
A good flora of the western Himalayas but poorly illustrated. Some information on plant uses.

[187] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991 ISBN 0-330-30936-9
Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[197] Royal Horticultural Society. Ground Cover Plants. Cassells. 1989 ISBN 0-304-31089-1
A handy little booklet from the R.H.S.

[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.

[208] Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990 ISBN 0-460-12609-1
An excellent detailled book on the subject, very comprehensive.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[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.

[243] Medicinal Plants of Nepal Dept. of Medicinal Plants. Nepal. 1993
Terse details of the medicinal properties of Nepalese plants, including cultivated species and a few imported herbs.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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