Ardisia japonica
{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Speciesbox
|image = Ardisia japonica 01.jpg
|genus = Ardisia
|species = japonica
}}
Ardisia japonica, known as marlberry,{{Cite book|url=http://www.forest.go.kr/kna/special/download/English_Names_for_Korean_Native_Plants.pdf |title=English Names for Korean Native Plants |publisher=Korea National Arboretum |year=2015 |isbn=978-89-97450-98-5 |location=Pocheon |pages=358 |access-date=4 January 2017 |via=Korea Forest Service |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525105020/http://www.forest.go.kr/kna/special/download/English_Names_for_Korean_Native_Plants.pdf |archivedate=25 May 2017 }} is a species of Ardisia native to eastern Asia, in eastern China, Japan and Korea.Flora of China: [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200016777 Ardisia japonica]
Growth
It is a low-growing, spreading very quickly evergreen shrub 20–40 cm tall. The leaves are opposite or in whorls, ovate, 4–7 cm long and 1.5–4 cm broad, with a sharply serrated margin and an acute apex. The flowers are 4–10 mm diameter, with five (rarely six) white to pale pink petals; they are produced in racemes in late spring. The fruit is a drupe 5–6 mm diameter, red maturing dark purple-black in early winter.Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan {{ISBN|0-333-47494-5}}.
Uses
A number of cultivars have been selected for growing as ornamental plants, including 'Hakuokan' and 'Ito Fukurin' with variegated leaves, 'Hinotsukasa', with pale cream-coloured leaves, and 'Matsu Shima' with pink stems and variegated leaves.
The plant is called Jūryō (十両) in Japanese. Because of the red berries and the word play of its name it is used during Japanese New Year for chabana decoration, normally along winter jasmine.{{cite web | url=https://murasakihanana.link/archives/1936 | title=万両 千両 十両の見分け方 和風の自然な庭に似合う植物（12月）です – Hanana tree | date=17 December 2017 }}{{cite web | url=https://www.543life.com/shun/post20201228.html | title=千両/万両 せんりょう/まんりょう｜暦生活 }} Another plant used instead because of its similarity is the coralberry tree and Sarcandra glabra.
=Medicinal uses=
It is used as a medicinal plant in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is called zǐjīn niú ({{zh|t=紫金牛}}), or aidicha (矮地茶) and is considered one of the 50 Fundamental Herbs.Plants for a Future: [http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Ardisia+japonica Ardisia japonica]
Large doses of the plant as medicine can be toxic to the kidneys.Alternativehealing.org:[http://alternativehealing.org/ai_di_cha.htm Ardisia japonica]
=Weed problems=
It has escaped from cultivation and established itself in the wild in the United States, in Gainesville, Florida.[http://www.se-eppc.org/wildlandweeds/fullpdf/ww_Summer_2009.pdf 'Wildland Weeds" Summer 2009 p. 4 accessed 6 June 2010]
See also
- Chinese herbology
- Ardisia crenata, (waxy leaves and red berries) also known as coral bush, coralberry tree, or spiceberry.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Ardisia japonica}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20041110104241/http://sun.ars-grin.gov:8080/npgspub/xsql/duke/plantdisp.xsql?taxon=106 Ardisia japonica Chemical Compounds (Dr. Duke's Databases)]
{{Taxonbar|from=Q858326}}
Category:Plants used in traditional Chinese medicine