Japanese name: ドクダミ（蕺、蕺菜） Scientific name:Houttuynia cordata
[Overview]
A perennial 30–50 cm tall, growing in colonies in shade near human settlements.
It has long creeping underground stems.
The whole plant has a distinctive smell.
Leaves are simple and alternate, heart-shaped, 3–8 cm long.
The leaves are dark green and not glossy, but often tinged with crimson, as are the stems.
The leaf margins are entire.
A spike 1–3 cm long is produced at the stem tip and bears many small flowers, which open from the bottom of the spike upward.
The flowers have no petals, and the anthers are pale yellow.
At the base of the inflorescence are 4 white, elliptic involucral bracts, 1.5–2 cm long, that look like petals.
The fruit is a capsule.
[Uses]
The aboveground parts are used medicinally, and in Southeast Asia the plant is also used as a vegetable.
[Cultivation]
Propagate by division.
It is not particular about sun exposure or soil and multiplies readily.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
Fertilizer is not particularly necessary, but for potted plants, slow-release fertilizer may be placed on the soil in spring.
There are no particular pests or diseases.
