Rank Species | Higher classification Ardisia | |
 | ||
Similar Myrsinaceae, Ardisia crenata, Ardisia, Ardisia crispa, Sarcandra glabra | ||
Marlberry plant ardisia japonica chinese meds com
Ardisia japonica, known as marlberry, is a species of Ardisia native to eastern Asia, in eastern China, Japan and Korea.
Contents
- Marlberry plant ardisia japonica chinese meds com
- Ardisia japonica
- Growth
- Uses
- Medicinal uses
- Weed problems
- References
Ardisia japonica
Growth
It is a low-growing, spreading very quickly evergreen shrub 20–40 cm tall. The leaves are opposite or in whorls, ovate, 4–7 cm long and 1.5–4 cm broad, with a sharply serrated margin and an acute apex. The flowers are 4–10 mm diameter, with five (rarely six) white to pale pink petals; they are produced in racemes in late spring. The fruit is a drupe 5–6 mm diameter, red maturing dark purple-black in early winter.
Uses
A number of cultivars have been selected for growing as ornamental plants, including 'Hakuokan' and 'Ito Fukurin' with variegated leaves, 'Hinotsukasa', with pale cream-coloured leaves, and 'Matsu Shima' with pink stems and variegated leaves.
Medicinal uses
It is used as a medicinal plant in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is called zǐjīn niú (Chinese: 紫金牛), or aidicha (矮地茶) and is considered one of the 50 Fundamental Herbs.
Large doses of the plant as medicine can be toxic to the kidneys.
Weed problems
It has escaped from cultivation and established itself in the wild in the United States, in Gainesville, Florida.
