Isodon japonicus

(Burm.f.) H. Hara

LamiaceaeLeavesSpice/Beverage

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(c) Tatyana Petrenko, some rights reserved (CC BY)

iNaturalist · cc-by
(c) Nina Filippova, some rights reserved (CC BY)

What to Eat

Edible parts: Leaves, Spice

Young leaves are eaten cooked.

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant. It grows in grasslands, forests and valleys from sea level to 2,100 m above sea level. In Sichuan.

Asia, China, Japan, Korea, Russia,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, China, Georgia, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

A herb. It keeps growing from year to year. The stems are erect and 40-150 cm tall. The base is woody. The tips are branched and hairy. The leaves are broadly oval and 7-13 cm long by 3-7 cm wide. The flowers are in loose panicles at the end of the plant.

How to Grow

Propagation: No specific information is available for this species, but sowing seed in a cold frame in spring is suggested. Only just cover the seed. Prick seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle and grow on in the cold frame through their first winter, then plant out into permanent positions in spring. Division in spring may also be possible.

Medicinal Uses

The plant is used medicinally in the treatment of stomach cancer.

Other Uses

No other uses are known for this plant.

Wikipedia

Herbaceous perennial reaching 1 m tall. Hermaphroditic. Adapts to light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils across mildly acid to mildly alkaline pH. Tolerates semi-shade to full sun. Prefers consistently moist soil.

Names & Synonyms

Bangapul

Amethystanthus japonicus (Burm.f.) NakaiIsodon glaucocalyx var. japonicus (Burm.f.) KudoPlectranthus buergeri Miq.Rhabdosia japonica (Burm.f.) H. HaraScutellaria japonica Burm.f.ad others

References (2)

Hwang, HS, et al, 2014, Distribution characteristics of plant in the Ungseokbong Mountain, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea. Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity. 7(2014) e164-e178
Song, M., et al, 2013, Traditional knowledge of wild edible plants in Jeju Island, Korea. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge. 12(2) pp 177-194