Berchemia edgeworthii M.A.Lawson has often been included with this species - most modern treatments, such as the Flora of China[] treat it as distinct, a treatment we are following here.

Common Name:

General Information

Berchemia lineata is a prostrate to procumbent deciduous to semi-evergreen shrub occasionally reaching a height of 2 metres[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and probably as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - southern China (Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan) Taiwan, ?India, Japan, Vietnam.

Habitat

Hills, open places, roadsides; usually at low elevations[]. Near the coast in Japan[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Semi-deciduous Shrub
Height	1.50 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Berberis lineata is not hardy in the colder areas of the temperate zone, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c[].
Requires a good moist well-drained loam, succeeding in full sun if the soil does not dry out otherwise it is best in light shade[, ].
Suitable for growing along fences, against walls with wire supports or for growing through other shrubs[]. Plants climb by means of twining around supports[].
Closely related to Berchemia edgeworthii[].

Edible Uses

The following record was for the closely related Berchemia edgeworthii M.A.Lawson. Since that species has at times been treated as a synonym of Berchemea lineata it is likely that the record also applies here:-
Fruit. - raw or cooked[, ]. Only eat the fruit when it is black ripe[]. The fruit is not very freely produced in Britain[]. The fruit is about 8mm in diameter[]. The dark blue and waxy, globose to ovoid to ellipsoid fruit is 5 - 6mm long and up to 3mm in diameter[].

Medicinal

The plant has been used as a febrifuge[].

The root is diuretic[].
The roots and leaves have been used as a medicine to relieve coughs and reduce sputum, to treat rheumatism, lumbago, injuries, trauma and snakebite[, ]

Other Uses

The stem is used to make pads for kitchen pots[].

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[].