Panax japonicus
Panax japonicus
Safety & Hazards
The root contains up to 5% saponins[ 174 Title Atlas of Medicinal Plants. Publication Author Kariyone. T. Publisher Nihon Rinshosha; Osaka Year 1973 ISBN Description A good Japanese herbal. ]. Although poisonous, saponins also have a range of medicinal applications and many saponin-rich plants are used in herbalism (particularly as emetics, expectorants and febrifuges) or as sources of raw materials for the pharmaceutical industry. Saponins are also found in a number of common foods, such as many beans. Saponins have a quite bitter flavour and are in general poorly absorbed by the human body, so most pass through without harm. They can be removed by carefully leaching in running water. Thorough cooking, and perhaps changing the cooking water once, will also normally remove most of them. However, it is not advisable to eat large quantities of raw foods that contain saponins. Saponins are much more toxic to many cold-blooded creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish and make them easy to catch[ K Title Plants for a Future Author Ken Fern Description Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips. ].
Botanical Description
Panax japonicus is a herbaceous perennial plant growing from a horizontal tuberous rhizome; it produces a cluster of one or more straight, unbranched stems usually 50 - 80cm tall, with 3 - 5 leaves in a whorl at the summit of the stem[ 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. , 1772 Title Genus Panax L. (Araliaceae) in India Publication Pleione 1(2): 46 - 54. 2007. Author Arun K. Pandey et al Publisher Year 2007 ISBN Description ] A very popular medicinal herb in eastern Asia, where it is one of the species that is commonly used as a form of ginseng. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use and trade, and is often also cultivated for medicinal use, especially in Japan, Korea and China[ 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. ].