Lindera communis

Hemsl.

Ta-hsiang-yieh-tzu-shu

Lauraceae Edible: Leaves - flavouring, Seeds - oil 970 iNaturalist observations

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Description

An evergreen shrub or tree. It grows 3-4 m tall. The trunk can be 25 cm across. Male and female flowers occur on separate plants. The leaves are alternate and yellowish green underneath. They are narrowly oval and 4-9 cm long by 2-3 cm wide. The fruit are oval and 1 cm long. They are red at maturity.

Edible Uses

The leaves are occasionally used as a condiment. The dried, powdered leaves and twigs are added to rice bouillon for flavour. An edible oil is obtained from the seed.

Traditional Uses

The dried and powdered leaves are occasionally used as a flavouring. The seed oil is used in food.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

The leaves and seed oil have traditional uses as flavouring and food ingredient.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows in broad-leaved evergreen forests in China. It grows in dry sandy places. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Where It Grows

Asia, Cambodia, China, India, Indochina, Japan, Laos, Myanmar, SE Asia, Thailand, Vietnam,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown by seed or by cuttings.

Other Uses

The pericarp contains an essential oil. An oil obtained from the seed oil is edible and is also used for making soap and machine oil.

Also Known As

Liendan thongthuong, Xiang ye shu

References (8)

Brown, D., 2002, The Royal Horticultural Society encyclopedia of Herbs and their uses. DK Books. p 263
Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 139
Fern, K., 2012, Tropical Species Database http://theferns.info/tropical/
F. B. Forbes & W. B. Hemsley, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 26:387. 1891
Tanaka,

Show all 8 references

Wiersema, J. H. & Leon, B., 2013, World Economic Plants. A Standard Reference CRC Press. 2nd Ed. p 407
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
www.efloras.org Flora of China Volume 7