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Daphniphyllum himalense

Common name:		Family:	Daphniphyllaceae
Author:	(Benth.)J.Muell.	Botanical references:	11, 200
Synonyms:	Goughia himalensis (Benth.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - Central and Eastern Himalayas to Northern Burma.
Habitat:	Cool moist forests[200], shady ravines[158] and valleys alongside streams, 1200 - 3000 metres[146].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	1	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen tree growing to 6m. It is hardy to zone 8. It is in leaf all year. The scented flowers are dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). The plant not is self-fertile. We rate it 1/5 for edibility and 1/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) or semi-shade (light woodland). It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Secondary, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge.

Edible Uses

Leaves.

The very closely related D. macropodum is said to have edible leaves. Are the leaves of this species also edible cooked?[K]

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Skin.

A paste of the wod is applied as a poultice to boils[272].

Other Uses

Wood.

Wood - soft, close and even grained, very handsome. Used for turnery, carving etc[146, 272]. The wood of the roots is especially handsome, it is deep red in colour[158].

Cultivation details

Succeeds in any good soil, tolerating lime but perhaps not suitable for very chalky soils[11]. A useful plant for moist shady positions[11]. Dislikes cold drying winds[200].
D. macropodum. Miq. is hardy at Kew and tolerates temperatures down to about -20°c[11, 184]. It is very closely related to this species and is perhaps no more than a sub-species of it[11]. This species, however, is less hardy than D. macropodum[182].
The flowers have a pungent aroma[182]. They are produced in racemes on the previous year's wood[11].
Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Propagation

Seed - sow spring 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 moderately ripened wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel or at a junction with old wood, July in individual pots in a frame. The cuttings are slow to root, give them brisk bottom heat[78]. Fair percentage[78].
Layering of current seasons growth, 12cm long in August/September. Takes 12 - 18 months. High percentage[78].

Scent

Flowers: Fresh: The flowers have a pungent aroma.

Suppliers

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

Web References

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

References for the family Daphniphyllaceae.

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

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[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.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[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.

[158] Gupta. B. L. Forest Flora of Chakrata, Dehra Dun and Saharanpur. Forest Research Institute Press 1945
A good flora for the middle Himalayan forests, sparsly illustrated. Not really for the casual reader.

[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.

[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.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

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
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