Angelica keiskei, more widely known under the japanese name of is a not frost tender perennial plant from the angelica genus

Angelica

Angelica is a genus of about 60 species of tall biennial and perennial herbs in the family Apiaceae, native to temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, reaching as far North as Iceland and Lapland...

 endemic to Hachijōjima

Hachijojima

is a volcanic Japanese island in the Philippine Sea, administered by Tōkyō and located approximately south of the Special Wards of Tōkyō. It is the southernmost and most isolated of the Izu Seven Islands group of the seven northern islands of the Izu archipelago...

. Its japanese nomenclature stems from the above-average regenerative capabilities the plant exhibits when getting injured. Harvesting a leaf at the break of day results often in a new sprout growing over night, being visible the following morning. Traditional it is seen as a major contributor to the supposedly healthier, extended lives of the local residents what may be based on its substantial levels of vitamin B₁₂

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12, vitamin B12 or vitamin B-12, also called cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin with a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, and for the formation of blood. It is one of the eight B vitamins...

and chalconoid

Chalconoid

Chalconoids, also known as chalcones, are natural phenols related to chalcone. They form the central core for a variety of important biological compounds. They show antibacterial, antifungal, antitumor and anti-inflammatory properties...

s that are unique to this species of angelica. At one point in Edo period

Edo period

The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....

 the haulms yellow sap was effective used in the external treatment of smallpox

Smallpox

Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...

, which prompted Kaibara Ekken

Kaibara Ekken

or Ekiken, also known as Atsunobu was a Japanese Neo-Confucianist philosopher and botanist.Kaibara was born into a family of advisors to the daimyo of Fukuoka Domain in Chikuzen Province . He accompanied his father to Edo in 1648, and was sent in 1649 to Nagasaki to study Western science...

 to describe the herb in his Yamato honzō (大和本草) under the name of ashitagusa (鹹草) as "a powerful tonic drug". In folk medicine it is attributed to be diuretic, tonic, improve digestion, and applied topically to speed wound healing and prevent infection. Also its nutritive qualities are said to be the factor behind the originally insular exiles' never waning stamina in the face of their arduous compulsory labor. For similar reasons, it serves as pasture for cows all over the place, reckoned to improve the milks quality as well as the yield and keeping them healthy at the same time. It has to be pointed out that most of this claims have yet to be proven in clinical trials, while studies substantiated furocoumarins

Furanocoumarin

Furanocoumarins, or furocoumarins, are a class of organic chemical compounds produced by a variety of plants. They are biosynthesized partly through the phenylpropanoid pathway and the mevalonate pathway, which is biosynthesized by a coupling of dimethylallyl pyrophosphate and 7-hydroxycoumarin...

 in several plant components; an agent known to increase skin sensitivity to sunlight and may cause dermatitis. Nonetheless modest conditions for cultivation and fast rate of growth have led many locals to plant ashitaba in herb gardens, flower pots and even backyards. These days the main usage of the edible aerial parts, in particular the stipes and leaves, as well as its taproot

Taproot

A taproot is an enlarged, somewhat straight to tapering plant root that grows vertically downward. It forms a center from which other roots sprout laterally.Plants with taproots are difficult to transplant...

, is in regional cuisine, where they are prepared as soba

Soba

is the Japanese name for buckwheat. It is synonymous with a type of thin noodle made from buckwheat flour, and in Japan can refer to any thin noodle . Soba noodles are served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or in hot broth as a noodle soup...

, tempura

Tempura

], is a Japanese dish of seafood or vegetables that have been battered and deep fried.-Batter:A light batter is made of cold water and soft wheat flour . Eggs, baking soda or baking powder, starch, oil, and/or spices may also be added...

, shōchū

Shochu

is a Japanese distilled beverage. It is typically distilled from barley, sweet potatoes, or rice, though it is sometimes produced from other ingredients such as brown sugar, buckwheat or chestnut. Typically shōchū contains 25% alcohol by volume...

, tea and ice cream amongst others.

Medicinal Properties

This plant is being studied for nerve growth factor, cancer, menopause, and a sundry of disease conditions.

Reference

• http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Angelica%20keiskei
• http://www.planetbotanic.ca/fact_sheets/japanese_herbs/ashitaba_japanese_angelica.htmhttp://www.nih.go.jp/eiken/chosa/AshitabaIppan.htmlhttp://www.hachijo-ashitaba.net/ashitaba/index.html