Oenanthe javanica
(Blume) DC.
Apiaceae
There is a lot of confusion over the correct name for this species. Some reports give Oenanthe stolonifera. DC. or Oenanthe stolonifera. Wall as the correct name whilst other reports say that these names are synonyms of Oenanthe javanica. [
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
] says that Oenanthe stolonifera japonica. (Miq.)Maxim. Is a synonym of Oenanthe javanica. The Flora of China treats this as a highly variable single species under the name Oenanthe javanica and recognizes at least one sub-species[
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
].
Oenanthe alatinervis Y.Y. Qian
Oenanthe decumbens Koso-Pol.
Oenanthe kudoi Suzuki & Yamam.
Oenanthe normanii F.P. Metcalf
Oenanthe pterocaulon S.L. Liu et al.
Oenanthe rosthornii Diels
Oenanthe stolonifera (Roxb.) DC.
Oenanthe stolonifera Wallich ex DC..
Oenanthe subbipinnata (Miq.) Drude
Phellandrium stoloniferum Roxb.
Sium javanicum Blume
Common Name: Water Dropwort
General Information
Oenanthe javanica is an erect, perennial plant growing from 10 - 150cm tall. The plant has creeping stolons by which it spreads vigorously, often forming large clumps[
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It is occasionally cultivated in many regions from the tropics to the warm temperate zone as a food and is sold in local markets. There are some named varieties[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
].
Known Hazards
Although no specific mention of toxicity has been seen for this species, it belongs to a genus that contains a number of very poisonous plants and so some caution is advised[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
]. It is said to contain the alleged 'psychotroph' myristicine[
218- Title
- Medicinal Plants of China
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S.
- Publisher
- Reference Publications, Inc.
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 0-917256-20-4
- Description
- Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
].
Botanical References
58- Title
- Flora of Japan. (English translation)
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ohwi. G.
- Publisher
- Smithsonian Institution
- Year
- 1965
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.
,
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
Range
E. Asia - Mongolia, China, Japan, Korea, Indian subcontinent, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, N. Australia.
Habitat
Ditches, ponds and wet places in lowland areas all over Japan[
58- Title
- Flora of Japan. (English translation)
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ohwi. G.
- Publisher
- Smithsonian Institution
- Year
- 1965
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.
]. Marshlands, lakeshores, muddy stream banks and shallow water; at elevations from 600 - 3,000 metres in most parts of China[
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
].
Properties
Edibility Rating | |
Medicinal Rating | |
Other Uses Rating | |
Habit | Perennial |
Height | 1.00 m |
Pollinators | Insects |
Self-fertile | Yes |
Cultivation Status | Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild |
Cultivation Details
Oenanthe javanica is found from the warm temperate zone to the tropics, where it can be found at elevations up to 3,400 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 10 - 30°c, but can tolerate 4 - 32°c[
]. At least some forms of the plant can tolerate some frost, and the plant is cultivated in warm temperate regions[
]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 2,000 - 3,000mm, but tolerates 1,500 - 3,500mm[
].
Requires a wet fertile soil or shallow water and a sunny position[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 4.5 - 7[
].
Yields of 10 tonnes of root per hectare have been reported in New Guinea[
].
There are two main forms of this species, a red form has edible shoots whilst a white form is grown for its medicinal root[
178- Title
- Chinese Materia Medica.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Stuart. Rev. G. A.
- Publisher
- Taipei. Southern Materials Centre
- Year
- 1911
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.
]. In Japan this plant and six other herbs are customarily boiled in rice gruel on January 7th[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
]. The cultivar 'Su Zhou' is medium early and has few fibres plus an excellent taste[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
].
Edible Uses
Young leaves and stems - raw or cooked[
2- Title
- Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hedrick. U. P.
- Publisher
- Dover Publications
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- 0-486-20459-6
- Description
- Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
,
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
61- Title
- A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Usher. G.
- Publisher
- Constable
- Year
- 1974
- ISBN
- 0094579202
- Description
- Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
,
105- Title
- Tanaka's Cyclopedia of Edible Plants of the World.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tanaka. T. & Nakao S.
- Publisher
- Keigaku Publishing; Tokyo
- Year
- 1976
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- The most comprehensive list of edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
]. Used as 'namul' in Korea - this is a cooked side dish prepared by steaming or blanching the vegetables, placing them in small serving bowls with sesame oil seasoning and serving them at room temperature[
1665- Title
- Wild Food Plants in South Korea; Market Presence, New Crops, and Exports to the United States
- Publication
- Economic Botany, Vol. 50, No. 1 (Jan. - Mar., 1996), pp. 57-70
- Author
- Pemberton R.W. & Nam Sook Lee
- Website
- http://www.jstor.org/stable/4255805
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 1996
- ISBN
-
- Description
-
]. The leaves are also used as a seasoning in soups etc[
179- Title
- Famine Foods listed in the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Reid. B. E.
- Publisher
- Southern Materials Centre; Taipei
- Year
- 1977
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A translation of an ancient Chinese book on edible wild foods. Fascinating.
,
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
]. The flavour is reminiscent of carrots or parsley[
206- Title
- Oriental Vegetables
- Publication
-
- Author
- Larkcom J.
- Publisher
- John Murray
- Year
- 1991
- ISBN
- 0-7195-4781-4
- Description
- Well written and very informative.
]. The young shoots that sprout from the root in winter are best[
116- Title
- Oriental Herbs and Vegetables, Vol 39 No. 2.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden
- Publisher
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden
- Year
- 1986
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A small booklet packed with information.
,
206- Title
- Oriental Vegetables
- Publication
-
- Author
- Larkcom J.
- Publisher
- John Murray
- Year
- 1991
- ISBN
- 0-7195-4781-4
- Description
- Well written and very informative.
]. A major vegetable in many parts of the Orient, the leaves are a rich source of vitamins and minerals (Analysis available)[
218- Title
- Medicinal Plants of China
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S.
- Publisher
- Reference Publications, Inc.
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 0-917256-20-4
- Description
- Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
].
Root - cooked. Highly esteemed in Japan[
116- Title
- Oriental Herbs and Vegetables, Vol 39 No. 2.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden
- Publisher
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden
- Year
- 1986
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A small booklet packed with information.
], the roots can grow up to 30cm long in water[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Seed is said to be edible[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
].
Medicinal
The whole plant is depurative, febrifuge and styptic[
147- Title
- A Barefoot Doctors Manual.
- Publication
-
- Author
- ?
- Publisher
- Running Press; Philadelphica.
- Year
- 1977
- ISBN
- 0-914294-92-X
- Description
- A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.
,
178- Title
- Chinese Materia Medica.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Stuart. Rev. G. A.
- Publisher
- Taipei. Southern Materials Centre
- Year
- 1911
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.
]. A decoction is used in the treatment of epidemic influenza, fever and discomfort, jaundice, haematuria and metrorrhagia[
147- Title
- A Barefoot Doctors Manual.
- Publication
-
- Author
- ?
- Publisher
- Running Press; Philadelphica.
- Year
- 1977
- ISBN
- 0-914294-92-X
- Description
- A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.
].
The leaves are chewed with wild ginger and traditional ash salt as an antidote to poisoning[
481- Title
- Medicinal Plants in Papua New Guinea
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Publisher
- World Health Organisation
- Year
- 2009
- ISBN
- 978-92-9061-249-0
- Description
- Traditional medicinal uses of 126 species from Papua New Guinea, including information on any modern research into the plants.
].
The leaves are rubbed onto the forehead in order to ease a headache[
481- Title
- Medicinal Plants in Papua New Guinea
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Publisher
- World Health Organisation
- Year
- 2009
- ISBN
- 978-92-9061-249-0
- Description
- Traditional medicinal uses of 126 species from Papua New Guinea, including information on any modern research into the plants.
].
The stem is chewed and swallowed to ease a cough[
481- Title
- Medicinal Plants in Papua New Guinea
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Publisher
- World Health Organisation
- Year
- 2009
- ISBN
- 978-92-9061-249-0
- Description
- Traditional medicinal uses of 126 species from Papua New Guinea, including information on any modern research into the plants.
].
The seed contains 3.5% essential oil. This is effective at large dilutions against pathogenic fungi[
218- Title
- Medicinal Plants of China
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S.
- Publisher
- Reference Publications, Inc.
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 0-917256-20-4
- Description
- Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
].
Agroforestry Uses:
Spreading rapidly by means of its roots, it makes a good ground cover plant for wet situations. The variegated cultivar 'Flamingo' has been especially recommended[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Other Uses
Spreading rapidly by means of suckers, it makes a good ground cover plant for wet situations. The variegated cultivar 'Flamingo' has been especially recommended[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Propagation
Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Germination is erratic[
206- Title
- Oriental Vegetables
- Publication
-
- Author
- Larkcom J.
- Publisher
- John Murray
- Year
- 1991
- ISBN
- 0-7195-4781-4
- Description
- Well written and very informative.
]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.
Division in spring[
206- Title
- Oriental Vegetables
- Publication
-
- Author
- Larkcom J.
- Publisher
- John Murray
- Year
- 1991
- ISBN
- 0-7195-4781-4
- Description
- Well written and very informative.
]. Large divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.
Layering[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Stem tip cuttings[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Any part of the stem roots easily[
206- Title
- Oriental Vegetables
- Publication
-
- Author
- Larkcom J.
- Publisher
- John Murray
- Year
- 1991
- ISBN
- 0-7195-4781-4
- Description
- Well written and very informative.
].