Common Name:

General Information

Callicarpa longifolia is an evergreen shrub or small tree, growing up to 6 metres tall, though usually much smaller[]. The bole can be up to 11cm in diameter[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for its use locally in traditional medicine[]. It is grown as an ornamental in gardens, valued especially for its colourful berries.

Known Hazards

Feeding trails have demonstrated that this species is toxic to calves[].

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - southern China, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines to Australia.

Habitat

Brushwood, thickets, village groves and secondary forest from sea-level up to 1,700 metres[]. Secondary regrowth and open sites in mixed dipterocarp forests, often along rivers and streams and hillsides with poor sandy soils[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a highly fertile, well-drained soil in full sun or dappled sunlight[]. Plants are often found in poor, moist, sandy soils in the wild[].

Edible Uses

In the early days of the twentieth century the bark of this species was used by Japanese living along the Johnstone River in north Queensland to chew with betel nut and lime, as a substitute for the usual leaves of Piper[].

Medicinal

A decoction of the leaves is drunk in the treatment of colic, fever, malaria and diarrhoea[, ]. It is also given to mothers after parturition[].
The leaves are widely used for poulticing swellings, bruises and wounds; for rubbing over the body in fever; and are also applied to an ulcerated mouth[]. Pounded leaves are an ingredient for a poultice to mature boils and ulcers[].

An infusion of the roots is mentioned as a remedy for syphilis[]. A decoction of the roots is mentioned as a cure for diarrhoea and colic[, ].

Various parts, prepared in different ways, are prescribed as a remedy for sprue[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow in a nursery seedbed and only just cover the seed[]. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 3 months at 18°c[]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on until large enough to plant out
Cuttings of half-ripe wood 10cm long in a frame. High percentage[].
Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth with a heel[, ].

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