The name of this taxon is commonly mis-spelt Dystaenia takesimana. However, the name (with the 'h') is correctly based on its original botanical name (Angelica takeshimana Nakai in Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 32: 219 (1918)).

Common Name: Seombodi

General Information

Dystaenia takeshimana is a herbaceous perennial plant that can grow 150 - 200cm tall[].
The plant is receiving considerable attention as a perrenial food crop for temperate regions, especially to supply fresh leaves during the winter. It is supplied both as plants and as seed by a range of nurseries in Europe and the USA.
Dystaenia takeshimana is endemic to Ulleung Island in the Republic of Korea. Currently, there is no evidence of decline, and although there are threats in place in various parts of its range, it is unclear whether these would have a sufficient impact to justify classifying this species as threatened at present. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2019)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - Korea (Ulleung Island)

Habitat

Broad leafed deciduous and evergreen forests, coastal areas, growing in communities characterized by Acer mono, Acer pseudosieboldianum, Fagus engleriana, Machilus thunbergii, Celtis jessoensis, Cornus walterii and Camellia japonica[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.50 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

The climate of Ulleung Island on which Dystaenia takeshimana grows is classified as humid subtropical with average monthly temperatures ranging from 4.4 - 26.9°c throughout the year, and lows that can occasionally fall as low as -13°c. Mean annual precipitation is 1,480mm, spread throughout the year but with the wettest months in Summer and much of the precipitation in winter falling as snow.
Succeeds in full sun or in partial shade.

Edible Uses

Leaves - raw or cooked. The flavour sits somewhere between celery and lovage, and makes a great addition to soups, and stays green through winter even in harsh conditions. It is very nutritious and incredibly cold hardy, the plants have beautiful foliage and flowers which are also beneficial for insects and can reach about 2m tall when flowering. They prefer cool weather, but will cope with summer heat once they are established. Seed sowing advice:

Medicinal

The plant, especially the root, has been shown to contain a range of medicinally active compounds and to be an effective antiinflammatory[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow in winter or early spring. The seeds need 3 - 4 weeks cold stratification. Once stratified, seedlings should start to appear in about 4 weeks.
Another report does not use cold stratification, but looks at improding water uptake of the seed. It says that the seed, and the wings surrounding it, are waxy and repel moisture. Removing the wings speeds up imbibition, even more so if the seed is also treated with Potassium hydroxide for 5 hours (you need to know what you are doing here, because it would be very easy to kill the seed). Seeds with their wings removed and then soaked in water for 4 days produced more then 85% germination. Pregermination temperature treatment at 40°c for 8 days, reduced the time for seeds to germinate and also increased germination rates significantly.