Common Name: Rock Jasmine

General Information

Androsace sarmentosa is a herbaceous, perennial plant producing one or more rosettes of leaves and often forming a lax mat of growth. The rosettes are 3 - 5cm in diameter with flowering stems 12 - 22cm tall. Stolons 5 - 8cm long arise from the leaf rosettes to form noew rosettes[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. It is grown as an ornamental in gardens, where it can be used as a ground cover.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - Himalayan regions of southern Tibet, Pakistan, India and Nepal

Habitat

Mixed forests and grassy slopes; at elevations from 2,800 - 4,000 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.10 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a very well-drained light or sandy alkaline soil of low nutrient status and with the addition of limestone chippings if necessary[]. Usually best in full sun, though in hot-summer areas it can be better if given some shade, especially from the hottest sun[]. Grows well on dry stone walls, or as a low ground cover, and tolerates hot humid summers[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The entire plant is used in Tibetan medicine, it is said to have a bitter taste and a cooling and coarsening potency[]. A resolutive, it dries up serous fluids[]. It is used in the treatment of disorders from tumours, inflammations of fluids and other serous fluid disorders[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant can be used as a low-growing ground cover[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - requires a period of cold stratification. Where possible, the seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame - all watering should be from the bottom of the pot[]. The seed can take 2 years to germinate, prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow on in a partially shaded cold frame[]. Plant out in late spring or early summer.
Division of runners in early summer. Pot them up into a sandy compost and grow them on until they are well-rooted before planting them into their permanent positions[].