Botanical Name: Euodia ruticarpa
Family: Rutaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Sapindales
Genus: Tetradium
Species: T. ruticarpum
Synonyms:
*Tetradium ruticarpum
*Boymia rutaecarpa.
Common Name: Wu Zhu Yu
Habitat: Euodia ruticarpa is native to E. Asia – China to the Himalayas. It grows in the inner valleys of Sikkim, 2000 – 3000 metres.
Description:
Euodia ruticarpa is a deciduous tree growing to 10 m (32ft 10in). The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs).
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Cultivation:
Euodia ruticarpa is a moderately cold-hardy tree, able to tolerate temperatures down to around -15°c when fully dormant.
Species in this genus tend to be easy to grow, succeeding in mot well-drained soils if given a position in full sun or some light shade.
The plant grows rapidly and well when young, coming into flower early in its life.
A dioecious species – it produces separate male flowers and female flowers, and only one of those types is produced on any individual plant. Therefore both male and female-flowered forms of the plant usually need to be grown if fruit and seed are required
Propagation:
Seed – sow late winter in a greenhouse. Variable germination rates. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Give the plants some protection from the cold for their first winter outdoors.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood (preferably forced in a greenhouse), 5 – 8cm with a heel, early summer to August in a warm greenhouse. Fair to good percentage. Root cuttings in late winter
Medicinal Uses:
Euodia Ruticarpa has a marked warming effect on the body, helping to relieve headaches and a wide range of digestive problems. Euodia fruit is analgesic, anthelmintic, appetizer, astringent, carminative, decongestant, deobstruent, diuretic, stimulant, stomachic and uterotonic.
Euodia Ruticarpa is used in the treatment of gastritis, nausea, headaches, edema, beriberi and post-partum pains. The partially ripe Euodia fruit is gathered in late summer and can be dried for later use. The Wu Zhu Yu root bark is astringent and vermifuge. Extracts of the Euodia plant show antiviral, antitumor and anti-inflammatory activity. This species was ranked 14th in a Chinese survey of 250 potential antifertility plants.
CLICK & SEE –>: Evodia Rutaecarpa to treat headache, epigastric pain :
Other Uses:
The fruit is an ingredient of commercial cosmetic preparations, whilst the plant is sometimes grown as an ornamental.
Known Hazards: Although commonly used medicinally in China and other countries, the plant should be used with care because it is mildly toxic and, in excess, can cause diarrhoea, dyspepsia and delirium.
Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetradium_ruticarpum
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Euodia+ruticarpa
http://temperate.theferns.info/plant/Tetradium+ruticarpum
