Ophiopogon japonicus


Ophiopogon japonicus or ジャノヒゲ ja-no-hige ) is a species of Ophiopogon native to China, India, Japan, and Vietnam.

Description

It is an evergreen, sod-forming perennial plant. The leaves are linear, 20–40 cm long. The flowers are white through pale lilac, borne in a short raceme on a 5–10 cm stem. The fruit is a blue berry 5 mm diameter. Underground, this species has large stolons with tuberous roots.

Cultivation

It is grown as an ornamental plant, providing excellent groundcover. Several cultivars have been selected, including 'Albus', 'Compactus' and 'Kyoto Dwarf', and 'Silver Mist'. It is often sold as a decorative plant for freshwater aquaria, but because it is not a true aquatic plant, it can live for a few months underwater before it dies. While hardy to temperatures of about –20 °C when dormant in winter outdoors in normal soil, when kept fully submerged it requires water temperatures of 18–25 °C. It grows well in full sun or partial shade. Propagation is from side shoots.

Traditional uses

In traditional Chinese medicine, Ophiopogon japonicus plants as well as tubers are known as mai men dong. Tubers are used as the cardinal herb for yin deficiency. According to the "Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica", the herb is sweet, slightly bitter and slightly cold, enters the heart, lung, and stomach channels and nourishes the yin of the stomach, spleen, heart, and lungs and clears heat and quiets irritability. Liriope spicata is used as a substitute.

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