Marlberry

Description

Ardisia japonica, known as marlberry, is a species of Ardisia native to eastern Asia, in eastern China, Japan and Korea. It is a low-growing, spreading very quickly evergreen shrub 20–40 cm tall. The leaves are opposite or in whorls, ovate, 4–7 cm long and 1.5–4 cm broad, with a sharply serrated margin and an acute apex. The flowers are 4–10 mm diameter, with five (rarely six) white to pale pink petals; they are produced in racemes in late spring. The fruit is a drupe 5–6 mm diameter, red maturing dark purple-black in early winter. A number of cultivars have been selected for growing as ornamental plants, including 'Hakuokan' and 'Ito Fukurin' with variegated leaves, 'Hinotsukasa', with pale cream-coloured leaves, and 'Matsu Shima' with pink stems and variegated leaves. The plant is called Jūryō (十両) in Japanese. Because of the red berries and the word play of its name it is used during Japanese New Year for chabana decoration, normally along winter jasmine. Another plant used instead because of its similarity is the coralberry tree and Sarcandra glabra. It is used as a medicinal plant in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is called zǐjīn niú (Chinese: 紫金牛), or aidicha (矮地茶) and is considered one of the 50 Fundamental Herbs. Large doses of the plant as medicine can be toxic to the kidneys. It has escaped from cultivation and established itself in the wild in the United States, in Gainesville, Florida.