Araliaceae FAMILY Endangered

Panax quinquefolius

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

4/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Panax quinquefolius is a herbaceous perennial plant growing from a stout tuberous rhizome; it produces a cluster of one or more unbranched stems around 30 - 100cm tall with usually three leaves in a whorl at the summit of the stem[ 352 Title KemperCentreForHomeGardeningPlantFinder Publication Author Website http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/ Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Year 0 ISBN Description Basic cultivation details, plant uses, habitat etc for several thousand species of plants, mainly from the temperate zone. ]. American ginseng is commonly harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine and also for trade. Related to Chinese ginseng, and often used as a substitute, the plant is sometimes cultivated in N. America, with much of the crop being exported to eastern Asia for medicinal use. The plant is also sometimes cultivated for medicinal use in China[ 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. , 317 Title Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants Publication Author Website http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Terse details of a huge range of useful plants. ]. Excessive harvesting of the plant from the wild for medicinal use has severely reduced its population. The plant is classified as 'Endangered' and there are various restrictions to harvesting it from the wild[ 352 Title KemperCentreForHomeGardeningPlantFinder Publication Author Website http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/ Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Year 0 ISBN Description Basic cultivation details, plant uses, habitat etc for several thousand species of plants, mainly from the temperate zone. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeEastern, central and southern N. America - Ontario, Quebec and Maine, south to Oklahoma, Louisiana and Florida

HabitatRich cool woods, often in deep shade[ 43 Title Gray's Manual of Botany.Eighth Edition Publication Author Fernald. M. L. Publisher American Book Co.; New York Year 1950 ISBN 0442222505 Description A bit dated but a good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America. , 277 Title Plants Database Publication Author Website http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet Publisher United States Department of Agriculture Year 0 ISBN Description An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants. ].