Common Name: Oil Nut

General Information

Pyrularia pubera is a deciduous shrub that can grow up to 3.5 metres tall.
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine

Known Hazards

The whole plant, especially the fruit, contains an acrid poisonous oil[]. There are no known cases of poisoning, but just tasting the seed can cause severe irritation of the mouth, probably due to the presence of calcium oxalate crystals[].

Botanical References

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Range

Eastern N. America - New York to Georgia and Alabama

Habitat

Rich woods, often forming dense stands in second-growth forest; at elevations from 200 - 1,400 metres[, ]. A host generalist, parasitic on the roots of various native trees and shrubs and also reported to parasitize non-native planted fir trees[]

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	3.50 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Pyrularia pubera
Parasitic on the roots of a range of trees and shrubs, but most commonly Tsuga carolina, this plant needs to grow close to a host tree. It requires a well-drained but moisture retentive lime-free soil[].
The sexual condition in Pyrularia is not clear, which is reflected in varied descriptions. The genus has been called dioecious, subdioecious, and polygamous. The anthers and filaments in this species are smaller on pistillate flowers, do not contain pollen, and are considered staminodes. Thus, at least this species, plants are functionally dioecious[]..

Edible Uses

Fruit[, , ]. Caution is advised since the fruit is said to be permeated with an acrid oil[, ]. The elongated, pear-shaped fruit is about 25mm long[].

An edible oil is obtained from the seed[]. Is this different from the acrid poisonous oil of the fruit?[]

Medicinal

The plant has been used as a salve on old sores[].

The seed has been chewed to cause vomiting in the treatment of colic[].

Cytotoxic and antimicrobial peptides called thionins are present in the plant[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe into a pot containing a small host tree. Stored seed will require 3 months cold stratification before it is sown[]. Grow on in a cold frame until the plant is large enough to plant out and then plant it close to a mature host tree. Remove the small host tree once the plant is well established[].