Rhamnaceae FAMILY

Rhamnus leptophylla

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

Species in this genus contain hydroxyanthracene derivatives which have a stimulant laxative effect upon the body, and many species are used traditionally as laxatives. In small doses, and for short periods, these can be safe and effective, but used over long periods they can weaken the body's natural ability to defecate and can have a range of long-lasting negative effects upon the body, including anaemia, malabsorption, haematuria and weight loss. Large single doses can cause severe purging.

Botanical Description

Rhamnus leptophylla is a spiny, deciduous shrub with a spreading crown, occasionally becoming a small tree; it can grow up to 5 metres 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. , 1643 Title Plants collected by R.C. Ching in Southern Mongolia and Kansu Province, China Publication Contributions from the United States National Herbarium Vol. 28 Part 4 pp 563-694, 1943 Author Walker E.H. Publisher Smithsonian Institution Press; Washington. Year 1943 ISBN Description ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental.

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeE. Asia - central and southern China (Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Shandong, Yunnan, Zhejiang)

HabitatDry hillsides, gravelly valley bottoms, thickets or forest margins in valleys, along the sides of roads and on slopes; at elevations from 1,700 - 2,600 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. , 1643 Title Plants collected by R.C. Ching in Southern Mongolia and Kansu Province, China Publication Contributions from the United States National Herbarium Vol. 28 Part 4 pp 563-694, 1943 Author Walker E.H. Publisher Smithsonian Institution Press; Washington. Year 1943 ISBN Description ].