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Decaisnea insignis

Common name:		Family:	Lardizabalaceae
Author:	(Griff.)Hook.f.& Thomson.	Botanical references:	11, 109, 200
Synonyms:	Slackia insignis (Griff.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - Himalayas in Sikkim and Bhutan.
Habitat:	Moist woods and thickets to 3000 metres[109, 146].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Slackia insignis[G]
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	insignis = remarkable
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Ranunculales. Lardizabala family

Physical Characteristics

A decidious shrub growing to 3.5m. It is hardy to zone 8 and is frost tender. It is in flower in June, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade.

Edible Uses

Fruit.

Fruit - raw[1, 105, 177]. A yellow pod about 8cm long[200], it is filled with a white juicy pulp that is very sweet and pleasant to eat[2].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Prefers a rich moist loamy soil and a sunny position sheltered from cold winds[1, 175]. Succeeds in partial shade[200].
This species is not very hardy in Britain[11], it probably needs greenhouse protection in most parts of the country[1]. The flowers and young growth in spring are very frost-tender and can be damaged by late frosts[200]. The flowers are produced at the tips of the new upright growths in the spring[11, 202].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[200], it then usually germinates freely in early spring[K]. Sow stored seed in February in a greenhouse. This usually germinates well, within 1 - 3 months at 18° c[175]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow them on under protection for their first winter. Plant out in late spring after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings.

Suppliers

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

Web References

[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 Lardizabalaceae.

[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

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

[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]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[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.

[109] Wilson. E. H. Plantae Wilsonae.
Details of the palnts collected by the plant collector E. H. Wilson on his travels in China. Gives some habitats. 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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[202] Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking. 1990 ISBN 0-670-82929-3
Contains information on 2,000 species and cultivars, giving details of cultivation requirements. The text is terse but informative.

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.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Decaisnea+insignis
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Decaisnea+insignis

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