Common Name:

General Information

Saururus chinensis is a herbaceous perennial plant, spreading slowly by means of short, thick rhizomes to form a clump; the strong, erect stems can be 100cm or more tall[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. It is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - eastern and southernChina, Vietnam, central and southern Japan, Korea, Philippines.

Habitat

Low damp places by water[]. Wet places, ditches, meadows, riverbanks, streamsides, forests, thickets, roadsides and field margins; at elevations from near sea level to 1,700 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Saururus chinensis has a wide range from the warm temperate zone of central Japan amd eastern China, south to the tropical region in the Philippines.
Plants are fairly cold tolerant, but are best given a protective mulch in the winter[].This is a plant for a boggy area of the garden, it is able to withstand temporary flooding[]. It prefers a loamy soil[] growing well in pond margins though it spreads vigorously[]. It can succeed in damp sites in the woodland as well as in the bog garden[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The flowers and root are used in medicine, and are considered to be slightly deleterious[]..

The flowers are antimalarial, diuretic, eliminative, laxative and parasiticide[178' 218].

The root is antimalarial, depurative, eliminative and parasiticide[, ].

The whole plant is antiphlogistic, depurative, diuretic, febrifuge and refrigerant[, ]. A decoction is used in the treatment of oedema, nephritis-associated oedema, nutritional oedema, inflammatory conditions and calculus of the urinary system, rheumatoid arthritis, boils and abscesses, rashes and fungal infections of the skin[].

The leaves are used as a poultice to clean wounds, abscesses and boils[, , ].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in early autumn. Sow stored seed in late winter or early spring. Keep the pots moist by standing them in shallow water[]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer.
Division in spring[, ]. The plants spread freely and division is possible at almost any time in the growing season. Divisions taken in mid to late summer should be overwintered in pots in a cold frame and then be planted out in late spring. Regular division maintains the vigour of the plant[].