This species has at times been included in Berchemia lineata (L.) DC. It is treated as distinct in most modern works, including the Flora of China[].

Common Name:

General Information

Berchemia edgeworthii is an erect, branched deciduous shrub growing around 2 metres tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and perhaps also as a medicine.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - southwest China, Himalayas from Kashmir to northeast India.

Habitat

Subalpine thickets, cliffs; at elevations from 2,100 - 4,500 metres[]. Scrub thickets in dry places; at elevations from 2,400 - 4,000 metres in Nepal[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	2.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Berchemia edgeworthii is native to mountainous areas of the subtropical zone in the Himalayas of India and China, where it experience snow and frost.
Species in this genus generally require a good moist well-drained loam, succeeding in full sun if the soil does not dry out otherwise growing best in light shade[, ].
Suitable for growing along fences, against walls with wire supports or for growing through other shrubs[].
Closely related to Berchemia lineata[].

Edible Uses

Fruit. - raw or cooked[, ]. A sweet flavour[]. Only eat the fruit when it is black ripe[]. The fruit is not very freely produced in Britain[]. The orange or purple, cylindric fruit is 7 - 9mm long and 3 - 4mm in diameter[].

Medicinal

The following record was for the closely related Berchemia lineata (L.) DC. Since this species has at times been treated as a synonym of Berchemea lineata it is likely that the record also applies here:-

The plant has been used as a febrifuge[].

The roots and leaves have been used as a medicine to relieve coughs and reduce sputum, to treat injuries, trauma and snakebite[]

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow spring or autumn in a cold frame[]. 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, mid summer in a frame[].
Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, late autumn to January in a frame.
Root cuttings in winter[].
Layering of young stems in winter[].