Aralia californica
Encyclopedia
Aralia californica, known by the common name Elk Clover though not actually a clover
, is a large herb in the family Araliaceae
, the only member of the Ginseng family native to California
and southwestern Oregon
. It is also called California Aralia and California Spikenard.
It is a deciduous
herbaceous
perennial plant
growing to a height of 2-3 m on stems which are thick but not woody. The stems bear large green pinnate or bipinnate leaves
1-2 m long and 1 m broad, the leaflets 15-30 cm long and 7-15 cm broad. The greenish white flower
s are produced in large compound umbel
s 30-45 cm diameter at the stem apex; each flower is 2-3 mm diameter, and matures to small (3-5 mm) dark purple or black fruit
, each berry containing 3-5 seed
s.
It is distributed throughout western and central California and into Oregon
. It is more common in cooler, moister areas in northern California
, especially in the San Francisco Bay Area
.
This plant is sometimes substituted for other species of its genus which are used as herbal remedies, such as American Spikenard
and Japanese Spikenard
. A preparation of the root has traditionally been used as an anti-inflammatory, douche
, and cough suppressant
.
Clover
Clover , or trefoil, is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the leguminous pea family Fabaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution; the highest diversity is found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species also occur in South America and Africa, including at high altitudes...
, is a large herb in the family Araliaceae
Araliaceae
Araliaceae is a family of flowering plants, also known as the Aralia family or Ivy family. The family includes 254 species of trees, shrubs, lianas and perennial herbaceous plants into 2 subfamilies...
, the only member of the Ginseng family native to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and southwestern Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. It is also called California Aralia and California Spikenard.
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
herbaceous
Herbaceous
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
perennial plant
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
growing to a height of 2-3 m on stems which are thick but not woody. The stems bear large green pinnate or bipinnate leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
1-2 m long and 1 m broad, the leaflets 15-30 cm long and 7-15 cm broad. The greenish white flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are produced in large compound umbel
Umbel
An umbel is an inflorescence which consists of a number of short flower stalks which are equal in length and spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs....
s 30-45 cm diameter at the stem apex; each flower is 2-3 mm diameter, and matures to small (3-5 mm) dark purple or black fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
, each berry containing 3-5 seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s.
It is distributed throughout western and central California and into Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. It is more common in cooler, moister areas in northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
, especially in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
.
This plant is sometimes substituted for other species of its genus which are used as herbal remedies, such as American Spikenard
Aralia racemosa
Aralia racemosa is an ornamental plant in the Araliaceae family native to the United States and Canada. It is a herbaceous plant, about one to two meters tall, which grows in shady areas. Its native range includes most of the eastern United States.-External links:**...
and Japanese Spikenard
Aralia cordata
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 in Japanese, and also as Japanese Spikenard...
. A preparation of the root has traditionally been used as an anti-inflammatory, douche
Douche
A douche is a device used to introduce a stream of water into the body for medical or hygienic reasons, or the stream of water itself.Douche usually refers to vaginal irrigation, the rinsing of the vagina, but it can also refer to the rinsing of any body cavity. A douche bag is a piece of...
, and cough suppressant
Cough medicine
A cough medicine is a medicinal drug used in an attempt to treat coughing and related conditions. For dry coughs, treatment with cough suppressants may be attempted to suppress the body's urge to cough...
.