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Eurya japonica

Common name:		Family:	Theaceae
Author:	Thunb.	Botanical references:	11, 200, 266
Synonyms:	Eurya pusilla (Siebold.), Eurya ceylanica (Wight.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.
Habitat:	Hill forests in the E. Himalayas, 900 - 1800 metres. Thickets in mountain slopes or valleys at elevations of 300 - 2500 metres in southern China[266].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	1	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Jerak [E], Jerak Marah [E], Tirak [E],
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Theales. Tea family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Malaysia

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen tree growing to 3m by 3m . It is hardy to zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower in May, and the seeds ripen in October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 1/5 for edibility and 0/5 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 can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge.

Edible Uses

Tea.

The leaves are used as a tea substitute or to adulterate China tea[183].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Fuel Wood.

Wood - soft, close grained. Used mainly as a fuel[146].

Cultivation details

Prefers a moderately fertile free-draining moisture retentive soil in sun or part shade with shelter from cold drying winds[200]. Probably best grown in a well-drained lime-free humus-rich soil[182].
Plants grow much taller in the milder areas of Britain[182].
Protect plants from frost when they are young[200]. The dwarf form that is grown in Britain is quite hardy once it is established[11].
The flowers are malodorous[200]. The trees are pollarded in the Himalayas and the leaves used for leaf manure[146].
Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Propagation

Seed - sow as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame or sow in early spring in a greenhouse[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 half-ripe wood, 6 - 8cm with a slight heel, July/August in individual pots in a frame. High percentage[78].

Suppliers

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

Web References

[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 Theaceae.

[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

[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.

[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.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[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.

[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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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?Eurya+japonica
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