Cornus capitata
Wall. in Roxb.
Evergreen dogwood, Mountain lychee
(c) Temjen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Temjen
(c) Andrew Kelly, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Andrew Kelly
(c) richardprovo, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit
The fruit, about 25mm in diameter, can be eaten raw or used in preserves. It has a bittersweet flavour reminiscent of an over-ripe banana, is fleshy with several seeds, and has a tough, slightly bitter skin. Some trees produce quite pleasant fruit while many others yield fruit with a distinct and unpleasant bitterness. The fruit ripens in late autumn to early winter and will not ripen properly in very cold weather.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
It is a temperate plant. It grows in evergreen and mixed forests between 1000-3200 m altitude in China. In Nepal is grows between 1700-2600 m altitude. In the Indian Himalayas it grows between 1,500-2,200 m above sea level. It is mostly on moist hillsides. It will grow on most soils and in most positions. It is resistant to frost but sensitive to drought. Hobart Botanical Gardens. It suits hardiness zones 8-9. Arboretum Tasmania.
Asia, Australia, Bhutan, Britain, China, Europe, Himalayas*, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, Pakistan, SE Asia, Sikkim, Tasmania, Tibet,
How to Identify
An evergreen tree or shrub. It can lose its leaves. It grows 3-15 m high. The bark is greyish brown. The leaves are opposite. They are 4-9 cm long by 1.2-3 cm wide. They are oval and leathery. They are pale underneath. The flowers are yellowish. Flowers are closely packed in heads. These are 1-1.5 cm across. The fruit join into a fleshy, strawberry-like head. These are 2.5-5 cm across. They are juicy but tasteless.
How to Grow
An easily grown plant, it succeeds in any soil of good or moderate fertility, ranging from acid to shallow chalk. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Succeeds in full sun or light shade. Prefers semi-shade. This species is hardy to between -5 and -10°c, it grows very well in S.W. England, self-sowing and fruiting prolifically in Cornish woodland gardens[11, 49, 59, , 104, 182] and doing well by the coast where it tolerates sea winds. Plants are not hardy in the London area, being killed even when on a south-facing wall. Another report says that it succeeds as far north as Edinburgh. Squirrels are very fond of this fruit. This species has been known to hybridize with C. kousa, the cultivar 'Norman Hadden' could be such a hybrid. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus.
Propagation: Seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe, either in a cold frame or an outdoor seedbed if there is sufficient seed. The seed must be separated from the fruit flesh, which contains germination inhibitors. Stored seed should be cold stratified for 3–4 months and sown as early in the year as possible. Scarification may help, as may a period of warm stratification before the cold stratification. Germination — particularly of stored seed — can be very slow, taking 18 months or more. Prick out cold-frame seedlings into individual pots once large enough to handle and grow on through their first winter in a greenhouse, planting out in spring after the last expected frosts. Take half-ripe side-shoot cuttings in July or August in a frame, or cuttings of mature wood from the current year's growth taken with a heel if possible in autumn in a cold frame — a high percentage will take. New growth can also be layered in June or July, taking about 9 months.
Medicinal Uses
The bark is used medicinally and is a source of tannin, which has astringent properties.
Other Uses
The branches and leaves are a source of tannin. The wood is very hard and close-grained but warps during seasoning; it is used mainly as fuel and for making tools.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Cornus capitata is a species of dogwood known by the common names Bentham's cornel, evergreen dogwood, Himalayan flowering dogwood, and Himalayan strawberry-tree. It is native to the low-elevation woodlands of the Himalayas in China, India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bhutan. It is naturalized in parts of Australia and New Zealand, but is also grown elsewhere as an ornamental. This is an evergreen tree growing to 12 meters in height and width. The leaves are gray-green and pale and fuzzy underneath, and several centimeters long. It flowers during the summer in white blooms. The infructescence is a small aggregate of several individual fruits fused into a red body 2 or 3 centimeters across. It is edible but sometimes bitter. There are several varieties and hybrids. The species is naturalised in the states of New South Wales and Victoria in Australia. The common name Bentham's cornel derives from the alternative label Benthamia fragifera, coined by John Lindley in honour of fellow botanist George Bentham.
Production
In Yunnan fruit are available from August to September.
Other Information
It is enjoyed in some places.
Notes
There are about 45 Cornus species.
Names & Synonyms
Bamora, Bentham’s cornel, Bhamora, Damaru, Da-ming-der-shing, De ji er, Dieng-soh-japhon, Himalayan strawberry tree, Jisuo, Jisuziguo, Krimbal, Laka, Namet, Phastil naminpluse, Phaytse, Pohon kornus himalaya, Poitsi, Thammal, Thanboi, Tharbal, Tharma, Tharmal, Tharwar, Thesi, Tou zhuang si zao hua, Tumbuk
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