Lardizabalaceae

 

This is a small family of woody plants containing eight or nine genera of climbing plants and one monotypic, shrubby genus. They are characterised by their fruits which are usually colourful and in some degree fleshy and edible. They are, in part, native to warm temperate climatic areas but are also found in the sub-tropics. They are distributed in South East Asia and South America. The following genera all show some degree of hardiness:- Akebia, Boquila, Descainea, Holboellia, Lardizabala, Sinofranchetia and Stauntonia.

 

Generally the species are monoecious with both sex flowers in the same drooping raceme (usually the females are at the end and are subtended by the males). Some species are however dioecious.

 

The fruit is either a berry, or more commonly, a fleshy pod follicle which dehisces ventrally to expose the seeds. The flesh is below the rind with the seeds carried inside this. The ripe fruits can be collected at dehiscence and the mass of seeds and central material extracted manually – if simple washing does not clean the seed, this can then be macerated and fermented to separate and clean the seeds.

 

The seeds of species within this family can all be treated in much the same fashion - at the dispersal stage they have an immature (ie a small but differentiated) embryo which requires a period of warmth to bring to maturity – usually c28 days at 20+˚C. Germination will then occur in a few days – unless a period of chilling is advantageous. The food store in the endosperm is oily which implies that the seeds should not be dried extensively and that storage should be at cool temperatures in order to avoid the development of rancidity. In general it would be prudent to deal with fresh seed.

 

Akebia

 

The genus Akebia contains five species of strong growing, twining, evergreen climbers – from China, Korea and Japan. It contains two fully hardy species (A. quinata and A. trifoliata) – which are often invasive in habit. The fruits are edible – if insipid – and are sometimes harvested and sold in the markets in northern Japan.

 

There are reports that these two hardy species respond to chilling (56 days at 3˚C) after the period of embryo maturation although it does not appear to be essential.

 

Boquila

 

Boquila is a monotypic genus (B. trifoliata) from the temperate rain forests of Chile and Argentina. It is an evergreen climber which is native to marshy areas in deep shade. The fruits are white, fleshy, globose berries about 5mm in diameter which contain from two to five seeds. These fruits are edible.

 

Descainea

 

The genus Descainea is regarded as monotypic by the taxonomists but practically is separated into the Chinese D. fargesii (which has bright blue fruits) and the Nepalese D. insignis (which has yellowish green fruits) – this trait is the only relevant distinction. The pulp of the fruits is white and glutinous and contains the flattened circular black seeds about 1cm in diameter. It is a deciduous shrub to about 3m tall and spread with pinnate leaves and yellowish green flowers which are followed by the brightly coloured sausage shaped fruits.

 

Treat the seed when fresh as there is a tendency to develop a hard seed coat with drying - however this can be mitigated by a 24 hour warm water soak. Experience suggests that there is no chilling requirement and that germination will occur satisfactorily at 20˚C.

 

Holboellia

 

The genus Holboellia consists of about twenty species of vigorous, evergreen climbers and is native to South East Asia – the Himalayas and China. The flowers are monoecious – the male flowers occur in terminal racemes and the female flowers are found in the leaf axils. The fruit is a purple, fleshy, sausage-shaped pod containing many seeds.

 

H. coriacea and H. latifolia are sufficiently hardy to be cultivated reasonably commonly in southern parts of the UK.

 

The seeds do not require chilling and will germinate prolifically at 20˚C.

 

Lardizabala

 

Lardizabala is monotypic genus – the sole species L. biternata is an evergreen climber which occurs in the temperate rain forests of Central and Southern Chile. The plants are dioecious and the female flowers are solitary while the male flowers are produced in hanging racemes. The fruit is a fleshy, purple, sausage shaped pod which is edible. The extraction and germination processes show no divergences from the norm.

 

Sinofranchetia

 

Sinofranchetia is hardy monotypic genus (S. chinensis) which is a native to Central and Western China. It is a hardy, very vigorous (to 15m), deciduous climber – with distinctive white stems and three lobed leaves which are glaucous below. The plants are dioecious and the drooping racemes of inconspicuous white flowers are produced in early summer. The fruit is a rounded, fleshy, mauve berry and these are produced in long, substantial elongated bundles.

 

Although the seeds will germinate without pre-treatment at 20˚C, the emergence will be speedier and better synchronised with a short period of chilling (35 days at 3˚C) after the maturation phase.

 

Stauntonia

 

The monotypic genus Stauntonia contains the variable, evergreen, climbing species – S. hexaphylla. This ranges extensively through the more southerly, warm temperate, islands of Japan. The fleshy fruits may vary from plum-shaped to sausage-shaped depending on their particular island provenance and are usually yellow which may be extensively flushed with purple or pink.

 

Extraction and germination is as described above with no particular individual traits.