Amaryllidaceae FAMILY

Lycoris radiata

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

The bulb contains toxins and must be leached before it is used for food[ 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. , 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. ]. Bulbs contain 2 inactive alkaloids[ 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. ].

Botanical Description

Lycoris radiata is a perennial plant growing from a subglobose bulb around 10 - 30mm in diameter; it can grow up to 30cm tall[ 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. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. This is one of several species that have been cultivated on a commercial scale for the extraction of the alkaloid 'galantamine', a substance used medicinally in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and also to treat several other conditions[ 2250 Title Plant Sources of Galanthamine: Phytochemical and Biotechnological Aspects Publication Biotechnology & Biotechnological Equipment, 23:2, 1170-1176, 2009 Author Berkov S. et al Website https://doi.org/10.1080/13102818.2009.10817633 Publisher Year 2009 ISBN 1310-2818 Description ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeE. Asia - Nepal, southern and eeastern China, Korea and southern Japan.

HabitatBy cultivated fields and in meadows in the lowland and hills of C. and S. 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. ]. Shady and moist places on slopes, rocky places along stream banks; from near sea level to 1,000 metres, occasionally to 2,500 metres[ 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. ].