Lonicera japonica
Lonicera japonica
Safety & Hazards
The leaves contain saponins[ 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. ]. Saponins are quite toxic but are poorly absorbed by the human body and so most pass through without harm. They can be found in many common foods such as some beans. Thorough cooking, and perhaps changing the cooking water once, will normally remove most of the saponins. Saponins are much more toxic to some 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[ 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
Lonicera japonica is an evergreen climbing shrub with stems 5 metres or more long that scramble over the ground and into the surrounding vegetation, supporting themselves by twining around other plants. The plant is commonly used in Chinese herbalism. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental from the temperate zone to the tropics and is also used as a ground cover[ 302 Title Tropical Ornamentals; A Guide Publication Author Whistler. W. Arthur. Publisher Timber Press Inc. Oregon. Year 2000 ISBN 0-88192-448-2 Description An excellent little guide to some of the more commonly cultivated ornamental plants of the Tropics, often giving some information on the plants other uses. ]. A rampantly growing plant, climbing by twining around other plants[ 182 Title Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Publication Author Thomas. G. S. Publisher Murray Year 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 Description Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties. , 182 Title Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Publication Author Thomas. G. S. Publisher Murray Year 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 Description Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties. ] This species has the potential to become a rampant weed, it has escaped from cultivation in N. America where it can outcompete native species[ 274 Title Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas Publication Author Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J Website http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm Publisher Botanical Research Institute, Texas. Year 1999 ISBN 1-889878-01-4 Description An excellent flora, which is also available on-line. ].