Scientific Name
Other Names
Life Form
Family
Ornamental - groundcover valued for its attractive evergreen foliage and summer flowers. Food - Root is consumed cooked. Medicine- The root is antiinflammatory, antiallergic, pectoral and stimulant.
China
Thrives in forests, bamboo forests, scrub, shady and moist places in ravines and on slopes, at an elevation of 100-1400 m.
It is dense clumping groundcover with arching grass-like foliage. Creates a neat and tidy appearance adding evergreen texture to landscapes.
Stem is short and inconspicuous, usually hidden beneath the base of the leaves. Functions as a support structure for the foliage. May develop a woody base in older plants.
Leaves are long, green ribbons, linear to narrowly so, ranging from 25 - 65 cm in length and 0.8-2 cm wide. Stiff and upright, with 9-11 veins running along the length. Recurve gracefully towards the ground, forming a rounded clump.
Flowers are in clusters of 3-8 on tall flowering stems (45-100 cm tall). Individual flowers have purple or lilac-purple, elliptic-oblong tepals (petal-like structures).
Fruit is developed after flowering and resemble small, round berries that turn black when mature.
Flowering: July – August,
Fruiting: September – October.