Aralia cordata

Taxobox
name = "Aralia cordata"

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image_width = 250px
image_caption = Young "Aralia cordata" shoot in spring
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Apiales
familia = Araliaceae
genus = "Aralia"
species = "A. cordata"
binomial = "Aralia cordata"
binomial_authority = Thunb.

"Aralia cordata" is an upright herbaceous perennial plant growing up to 2-3 m in height, native to Japan, Korea and eastern China. It is known as Udo (独活) in Japanese, and also as Japanese Spikenard. It commonly is found on the slopes of wooded embankments.

The leaves are alternate, large, and double to triple pinnate with leaflets 7-15 cm long and 5-10 cm broad. The flowers are produced in large umbels 30-45 cm diameter in late summer, each flower small and white. The fruit is a small black drupe 3 mm diameter.

Uses

The stem can be eaten and is sometimes boiled and served in miso soup. The roots are sometimes used for herbal medicines.

Despite its size, it is not a woody plant, as demonstrated in the popular saying "Udo no taiboku" (独活の大木), literally "great wood of udo", meaning roughly "useless" as udo has a very soft stem.

Udo is often mistaken to be shishiudo ("Angelica pubescens", in the family Apiaceae).

Can also be used in "udowormy" when the udo plant has been infected by the pupae stage of the Japanese beetle. The leaves from these infected plants are highly sought after to make "udowormy" tea, which has proved to be beneficial in relieving stress.

See also: