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Eucommia ulmoides

Common name:	Gutta-Percha	Family:	Eucommiaceae
Author:	Oliv.	Botanical references:	1, 11, 74
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - China.
Habitat:	Mountainous regions[74]. Lower mountains, valleys or sparsely forests at elevations of 300 - 500 metres in Gansu, Guizhou, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan and Zhejiang provinces[266].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	3	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	3

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Mien Ya [E], Mu Mien [E], Totyu [E], Tu Chung [E],
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	China

Physical Characteristics

A decidious tree growing to 12m by 8m at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 5. It is in flower in April, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The 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 3/5 for edibility and 3/5 for medicinal use.

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

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Canopy, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade.

Edible Uses

Leaves.

Young leaves[178]. No further details are given.

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Analgesic; Anticholesterolemic; Aphrodisiac; Astringent; Depurative; Diuretic; Hepatic; Hypotensive; Sedative; Tonic; Vasodilator.

Gutta-percha, known as Du Zhong in China, is commonly used in Chinese herbalism, where it is considered to be one of the 50 fundamental herbs[218]. It is considered to be an excellent tonic for the kidneys and liver, and is thought to act specifically on the lower part of the body[254]. Much interest has been aroused by Du Zhong's ability to reduce high blood pressure. In a clinical trial involving 119 people, 46% of those treated with the herb showed a significant reduction in blood pressure[254]. However, it seems to have little effect in cases of severe hypertension[254].
The stem bark is analgesic, anticholesterolemic, aphrodisiac, depurative, diuretic, hepatic, hypotensive, sedative, tonic and vasodilator[11, 46, 147, 176, 178, 218, 279]. Its use lowers blood pressure (the stir-fried bark is stronger than raw and a decoction is stronger than a tincture) and reduces the absorption of cholesterol[176]. It is used in the treatment of impotence, frequent urination, lumbago, weakness of the lower part of the body, aching back and knees, hypertension and threatened abortion[176, 254].
The flowers and the fruit are astringent[218].

We have a more details factsheet on the history and medicinal use of this plant. Email webmaster@pfaf.org for details.

Other Uses

Latex; Wood.

A rubber is obtained from the sap, but not in commercially viable quantities[11, 46, 61]. The leaves contain 3% dry weight of gutta-percha, a non-elastic rubber, used for insulation of electrical wires etc[74]. The gutta-percha is found in all parts of the tree and is extracted by alcohol[61, 174].
The wood is used for making Pattens (a type of shoe with raised soles)[178].

Cultivation details

Succeeds in any well-drained moisture retentive soil in full sun with shelter from cold winds[200]. Prefers a good loamy soil[11].
A fast growing[1] and very cold-tolerant tree, withstanding temperatures down to about -20°c[74].
Trees are commonly cultivated in Russia and China, both for gutta percha and for the medicinal used of the stembark[11, 218]. By using different solvents it is possible to obtain both of these products and the residue is then used for energy production[218].
This species is the only hardy rubber tree that can be grown outdoors in Britain[11].
Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stratify stored seed for 3 months at 2°c[113]. Germination is usually good and takes place in the first spring[K]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for 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[11].

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 the family Eucommiaceae.

[CHINA] Draft 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]).

[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.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[74] Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968
An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers.

[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.

[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.

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

[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.

[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.

[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

Readers Comments

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