Common Name: Native Hops

General Information

Native hops is a spreading, dense or erect, multi-stemmed evergreen shrub or small tree usually growing 1.5 - 5 metres tall though it can sometimes reach 8 metres[]. The short bole can be 15 - 25cm in diameter[].
The plant has a wide range of minor, local uses, for which purposes it is gathered from the wild. The leaves are sold in local markets for medicinal purposes in South Africa and Mexico[]. It is also cultivated in gardens as an ornamental and a hedge[].

Known Hazards

The leaves are slightly cyanogenic[]. They are also said to contain saponins[].
The seeds contain saponins and have been used as a fish poison[].
Although quite toxic, saponins are poorly absorbed by the body and most pass straight through without any problems. Saponins can be found in a number of common foods such as some types of beans. 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[].

Botanical References

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Range

Widely spread in tropical and sub-tropical regions of Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the Americas and the Caribbean..

Habitat

Rocky, stony or sandy soils in the montane zone of Victoria[]. On dry slopes, in fields and sandy soils by the coast in China[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Wind, Bees
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the warm temperate to tropical zones, where it is found at elevations up to 1,600 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 18 - 38°c, but can tolerate 7 - 45°c[]. Young growth can be killed by temperatures of -1°c or lower, though dormant plants are hardy to about -10°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 300 - 1,200mm, but tolerates 125 - 1,600mm[].
Requires a light well-drained soil in a sunny position[]. Succeeds in almost any fertile soil and in a hot dry position. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7.5, tolerating 4.5 - 8.5[]. Resists drought, salt winds and (atmospheric?) pollution[].
The plant produces large quantities of seed at an early age - it is capable of flowering and setting viable seed within three years of establishment. It regenerates profusely by seed, germination being enhanced by both fire and soil disturbance. The seeds are desiccation tolerant and maintain high levels of viability for long periods when dry. It is an aggressive coloniser that has the potential to become a weed especially in pasture areas[, ].
A fast-growing plant, requiring little maintainance[].
Plants respond well to coppicing and also generally resprout freely after being burnt back by fire[].
Plants are difficult to transplant when they are more than 60 centimetres tall[].
A polymorphic species, there are a number of sub-species[, ].
Usually dioecious, though sometimes monoecious. Generally both male and female forms must be grown if seed is required.

Edible Uses

Seed[, ]. No further details are given.

The bitter fruits are a substitute for hops and yeast in making beer[, , , ].

The chewed leaves are said to be stimulating[, ] but they contain saponins[] and are also said to be slightly cyanogenic[] so their use is not very advisable.

Medicinal

Native hops is a widely used traditional medicine in most of the areas in which it is found wild around the world. It is generally administered orally or as poultice to treat a great variety of ailments, but especially fevers and as a poultice to treat wounds, swellings etc[, ].
Essential oils and extracts obtained from the leaves have been shown to exhibit antibacterial and hypotensive activities[].
Aqueous and alcoholic extracts of the leaves have been shown to exhibit cardiac depressant and coronary-constricting properties, and slight anthelmintic activity[].
A saponin mixture from the seeds has been shown to have phagocytosis enhancing, analgesic and molluscicidal (including against the schistosomiasis-transferring snail Biomphalaria glabrata) properties[].
A number of 3-methoxy flavones derived from quercetin and kaempferol in the seeds, bark, inflorescences and leaves have been shown to exhibit pronounced antiviral activity and to be active in tissue cultures against polio-, rhino- and picorna-viruses[].
A chloroform-methanol extract from aerial parts has been shown to inhibit the spontaneous contraction of the intestinal smooth muscle of isolated rat and guinea-pig ileum in a concentration-dependent manner. This could explain the use of Dodonaea viscosa preparations to alleviate gastrointestinal disorders[].
The isolated coumarin fraxetin has attracted some attention as an anti-oxidant, and it displayed analgesic properties in tests[].

The leaves and young stems are anodyne, antipruritic, astringent, diaphoretic, febrifuge (the var. Angustissima is normally used[]), odontalgic and vulnerary[, ]. They are applied internally in the treatment of fevers, sore throats, digestive system disorders, including indigestion, ulcers, diarrhoea and constipation[, ]. The powdered leaves are given to expel roundworms[]. A decoction of the subsp. D. Viscosa angustifolia is used as a mild purgative[].
Applied externally, the leaves are used as a dressing on wounds, skin rashes and stings, and as a wash on itchy skin[, , ]. They are used as a gargle to treat to treat toothache, sore throats[]. The leaves are apparently effective in the treatment of toothache if they are chewed without swallowing the juice[].

The stems are used as fumigants to treat rheumatism[].

The bark is employed in astringent baths and poultices[, ].

An infusion of the roots is used in the treatment of colds[]. A decoction is used to treat digestive system disorders, including indigestion, ulcers, diarrhoea and constipation[]. The roots, either in decoction or fresh, are taken to stimulate milk production after giving birth and to treat dysmenorrhoea and irregular menstruation[].

The seeds, coated in honey and combined with those of other plants, are used to treat malaria[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Plants are very tolerant of pruning and make a good hedging plant for windy sites[, ]. They have been used in topiary work[].
This species is very good for providing low coastal shelter. The fibrous spreading root system, rapid growth and spreading canopy make it an ideal soil stabiliser which is particularly useful in controlling gully and coastal dune erosion[, ].
A fast-growing plant that is an aggressive colonizer of open areas, it is an ideal species to use when restoring native woodland or establishing a woodland garden[, ]. It should not be used, however, outside areas where it already grows wild, since it can spread from cultivation to become a weed species[].

Other Uses

The leaves contain up to 18% tannin[].
The bark is also a source of tannin, though the quality is said to be inferior[].

The twigs can be used to make a number of dyes - pale green, yellow green, and bright gold[].

The twigs are sometimes used as toothbrushes[].

The leaves and the seed were used by the Maori to make a kind of perfume[]. The fruits are used in pot-pourri[].

Various extracts of the plant have shown insecticidal activity against the cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis[].

The heartwood is dark brown, with an irregular outline, sometimes mottled with black; the sapwood is pale. The wood is extremely hard, close-grained, very heavy, tough and resistant[, ]. The wood produced in Brazil is said to be fine-textured, straight-grained, moderately heavy, soft, with poor mechanical properties and not very durable[]. The wood is used for wedges, hammers, turnery, inlay, engraving, cabinets etc[, ]. It is also used for making walking sticks and tool handles[].
The wood is a favoured fuel in many areas because it can be easily ignited and is slow and hot to burn. It is also used to make charcoal[, ].

Propagation

Seed - sow in a sunny position in a nursery seedbed. A high germination rate can usually be expected, with the seed sprouting within a few days[]. Pre-treatment of the seed by scarification, nicking the seed coat, or with boiling water promotes germination[].
Cuttings of half-ripe wood.
Air layering.

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