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Daphne genkwa

Common name:	Lilac Daphne	Family:	Thymelaeaceae
Author:	Siebold.& Zucc.	Botanical references:	11, 200
Synonyms:	Daphne fortunei (Lindl.)
Known Hazards:	All parts of the plant are poisonous[76]. Skin contact with the sap can cause dermatitis in some people[200].
Range:	E. Asia - N. and C. China, Korea.
Habitat:	Margins of paddy fields, hillsides and valleys[11, 147]. Grassy hills and plains, limestone cliffs, on boulders, on conglomerate and in piles of stones removed from fields[184].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	3

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	D. geknwa[E]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Huzimodoki [E], Men T'Ou Hua [E], Tu Yu [E], Yuan Hua [E],
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Myrtales. Mezereum family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Allelsewhere China

Physical Characteristics

A decidious shrub growing to 1.5m by 1.5m . It is hardy to zone 5. It is in flower from April to May. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, flies and Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies). We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 3/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid and neutral 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

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Abortifacient Anticoagulant Antiseptic Antitussive Antiviral Diuretic Purgative Stomachic Vesicant.

This plant has a history of herbal use going back over 3,500 years[238]. It is commonly used in Chinese herbalism, where it is considered to be one of the 50 fundamental herbs[218].
The flower buds are a bitter acrid herb that is used to control coughs. The buds are anticoagulant, antiseptic, antitussive, antiviral, diuretic, purgative and stomachic[147, 174, 175, 176, 178, 218]. They are used internally in the treatment of bronchitis, constipation, oedema and skin diseases[238]. The buds are also used as an abortifacient[238]. They are applied externally in the treatment of frostbite[238]. The buds are harvested and dried in the spring[238] and are used after they have been stored for several years[174].
The root is abortifacient, anticoagulant, diuretic, purgative and vesicant[218].

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

There is some disagreement over whether this species needs an acid or alkaline soil. According to some reports it requires a lime-free porous soil and semi-shade[1, 200] whilst another report says that it is probably best in a deep rubbly well-drained soil in a warm corner and kept well watered in a dry growing season[11]. Yet another report says that it grows best in a neutral to alkaline soil in sun or semi-shade[238]. A good sandy loam suits most members of this genus[11].
Plants are hardy to about -20° c, but they are short-lived and difficult to grow in cultivation in Britain[11, 184]. This might be because our summers are not warm enough for the plants to develop properly[11, 184], they seem to be fully hardy after hot summers[188]. It is tricky to get this plant to flower because the buds are formed in the autumn on wood of that year's growth and they may not survive our variable winters[11, 182].
Produces suckers when growing in its native habitat.
Plants are best grown on their own roots, grafted plants tend to be unsatisfactory.
Plants are resentful of root disturbance and should be planted into their permanent positions as soon as possible[188].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe with the pot sealed in a polythene bag to hold in the moisture. Remove this bag as soon as germination takes place[164]. The seed usually germinates better if it is harvested 'green' (when it has fully developed but before it dries on the plant) and sown immediately. Germination should normally take place by spring, though it sometimes takes a further year. Stored seed is more problematic. It should be warm stratified for 8 - 12 weeks at 20° c followed by 12 - 14 weeks at 3° c. Germination may still take another 12 months or more at 15° c[164]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle. Grow the plants on in the greenhouse for their first winter and then plant out in spring after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame.
Root cuttings, December in a greenhouse.

Suppliers

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

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[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.
[PHARM] Phytochemical Data (common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Daphne geknwa (a possible synonym).

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

References for daphne genkwa (a possible synonym).

[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures

References for the family Thymelaeaceae.

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.

[76] Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. HMSO 1984 ISBN 0112425291
Concentrates mainly on the effects of poisonous plants to livestock.

[147] ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X
A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.

[164] Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Yuccas, one on Sagebrush (Artemesia spp) and another on Chaerophyllum bulbosum.

[174] Kariyone. T. Atlas of Medicinal Plants.
A good Japanese herbal.

[175] Bird. R. (Editor) Focus on Plants. Volume 5. (formerly 'Growing from seed') Thompson and Morgan. 1991
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Corydalis spp.

[176] Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985
A very good Chinese herbal.

[178] Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre
A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.

[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.

[184] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989 ISBN 0-330-30258-2
Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1900 species and cultivars.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

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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