Common Name: Winged Prickly Ash

General Information

Zanthoxylum armatum varies in habit from a prickly, deciduous to evergreen shrub, woody climber or small tree growing up to 5 metres tall[].
The plant is mainly gathered from the wild for use as a condiment and medicine, as well as for various other commodities. It is sometimes also cultivated and is grown as a hedge in northern India[].

Known Hazards

The bark and fruits are used as a fish poison[].

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines.

Habitat

Rain forests, thickets and, at higher elevations, often on open slopes and rock ledges; at elevations from 50 - 1,750 metres in Malesia and up to 2,400 metres in continental Asia[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Semi-deciduous Shrub
Height	4.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant with a wide environmental tolerance, being found from the temperate to tropical zones.
Prefers a good deep well-drained moisture retentive soil in full sun or semi-shade[, , ].
Flowers are formed on the old wood[].
Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Edible Uses

The seed is ground into a powder and used as a condiment[]. A pepper substitute, it is widely used in the Orient[, , , ]. A light roasting brings out more of the flavour[]. The seed is an ingredient of the famous Chinese 'five spice' mixture[]. The fruit is rather small but is produced in clusters which makes harvesting easy[]. Each fruit contains a single seed.

The peel of the fruit serves as a spice[].

Young leaves are used as a condiment[, , ].

Medicinal

The seeds and the bark are stomachic and vermifuge[, , ] They are used as an aromatic tonic in the treatment of fevers, dyspepsia and cholera[, ]. The powdered seeds are eaten to rid the body of roundworm[].
A decoction of 7 - 14 seeds is used in the treatment of abscesses, arthritis, bruises, gastritis, swellings etc[]. A paste of the seeds is held between the teeth for about 10 minutes to relieve toothache[].

The fruits, branches and thorns are considered to be carminative and stomachic[, , , , ]. They are used as a remedy for toothache[, ].
A paste of the leaves is applied externally to cuts and wounds[].

The resin contained in the bark, and especially in that of the roots, is powerfully stimulant and tonic[].

The root is boiled in water for about 20 minutes and the filtered water drunk as an anthelmintic[].

An infusion of the leaves is drunk to relieve stomach pains[].
A paste of the leaves is applied externally to treat leucoderma[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is occasionally cultivated as a hedge[].
The plant is traditionally grown in living fences in the northwestern Himalayas, where it helps to exclude livestock and other animals; mark out land boundaries; whilst also providing a range of medicinal and other uses[].

Other Uses

The fruit contains 1.5% essential oil[].

The fruit is used to purify water[, ].

The bark is pungent[]. Toothbrushes are made from the branches[, , ]. They are used especially to relieve the pain of toothaches[].

The bark has been used as an insect repellent[].

The yellow wood is heavy, hard, close grained. Used for walking sticks[, ].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe in the autumn. Stored seed may requires up to 3 months cold stratification, though scarification may also help[]. Sow stored seed in a cold frame as early in the year as possible. Germination should take place in late spring, though it might take another 12 months. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant them out in early summer.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, mid summer in a frame.
Root cuttings, 3cm long, planted horizontally in pots in a greenhouse. Good percentage[].
Suckers, removed in late winter and planted into their permanent positions[].