Menu list goes here

Herbal Database Search Results

Back to: Pathways Main Search Page For Metaphysical uses visit The Witchs Haven

Trachelospermum asiaticum

Common name:	Japanese Star Jasmine	Family:	Apocynaceae
Author:	(Siebold.& Zucc.)Nakai.	Botanical references:	11, 58, 200
Synonyms:	Trachelospermum divaricatum (Kanitz.), Trachelospermum crocostomum (Stapf.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - Japan, Korea.
Habitat:	Thickets in hills and low mountains, C. and S. Japan[58]. Growing in scrub and climbing up trees in the forest[260].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	1	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Malouetia asiatica[G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Lo Shih [E], Teika-Kazura [E],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	asiaticum = Asian
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Gentianales. Dogbane family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	China

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen climber growing to 6m by 6m at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 9. It is in leaf all year, in flower from July to August. The scented 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, Ground Cover.

Edible Uses

Leaves.

Young buds - cooked[105, 177]. No more details are given, we do not know if it is the leaf or flower buds that are referred to.

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Ground cover.

Can be grown as a ground cover plant in a sunny position[188]. One of the most common ground cover plants used in Texas[274].

Cultivation details

Requires a well-drained moderately retentive soil in full sun or with part-day shade[200]. Requires a good humus-rich soil[11]. Succeeds in moderately alkaline or acid soils[202]. Requires the protection of a wall[11].
Plants are not very hardy outside the milder areas of Britain[166], but they can tolerate temperatures down to about -15° c when grown in a suitable position that makes sure the wood is fully ripened[200]. Young plants are particularly susceptible to cold winds[202].
A twining plant[182]. Plants are self-clinging on walls according to other reports[166, 200]. The plant is of slow to moderate growth[202].
Flowers are produced on short laterals that grow from old wood[200]. The flowers have a sweet refreshing perfume[245].

Propagation

Seed - we have no information for this species but suggest sowing the seed in a greenhouse in early spring. 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 heel, August in a frame. Ensure that the milky sap, which is excreted from the heel when the cutting is taken, has dried out before the cutting is inserted in the soil. Fair to good percentage[78].
Layering in summer[188].

Scent

Flowers: Fresh: The flowers have a sweet refreshing perfume[245].

Suppliers

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

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

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.
[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 Trachelospermum divaricatum (a possible synonym).

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

References for the family Apocynaceae.

[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

[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.

[58] Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965
The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.

[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.

[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.

[166] Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990
A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[260] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998 ISBN 0-330-37376-5
Excellent photos of over 1,100 species and cultivars with habits and cultivation details plus a few plant uses. Many species are too tender for outdoors in Britain though there are many that can be grown outside.

Readers Comments

Main Search Page Help Bibliography

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?Trachelospermum+asiaticum
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Trachelospermum+asiaticum

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
(You can copy, distribute, display this works but: Attribution is required, its for Non-Commercial purposes, and it's Share Alike (GNUish/copyleft) i.e. has an identical license.)
We also ask that you let us know (michael@thewitchshaven.com) if you link to, redistribute, make a derived work or do anything groovy with this information.

Pathways Home :: View Cart :: Shipping & Returns :: Contact Us :: Privacy Policy :: Philosophy :: The Witchs Haven

We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.