Habitat
Type: open woods, hedges
Distribution: throughout northern hemisphere

General
Growth type: tree
Cycle: deciduous
Height: up to 30 meters

Leaf
Shape: pinnate
Arrangement: opposite pairs of leaflets
Edge: finely toothed

Trunk
Colour: grey-green
Texture: smooth when young, turning more rugged when mature

Flower
Petals/sepals: none
Arrangement: clusters near end of branch
When: April to May
Colour:

Seed
Shape: oval
Size: 30mm with casing
Casing: one-winged key, long, pointed oval, slight twist

Contact with plant may cause dermatitis in sensitive individuals.

May to August - pick May to July for greatest benefit, best in June
all year
August to December - best in August

Parts with black and white icons are for non-culinary use

Flavour
Rating and Description:
pungent

How to Consume
tea; leaf curd
oil; pickled like capers (unripe)

Special preparation
boil in 3-4 changes of water to remove bitterness

Used as ...
food
condiment

Action:
astringent, cathartic, diaphoretic, diuretic, laxative, purgative
anti-periodic, astringent, bitter, febrifuge
(including wings) carminative, diuretic

May treat:
gout, rheumatism (eliminates urates) - see note below

green dye
(trunk) timber; (bark) tannin

Drying
dry to store

Note
more active dried; infusion: 25g to 1/2 litre

Plant parts:
leaf
stem or trunk
sap
root, bulb, tuber and other below ground parts
flower
fruit
seed

Parts with black and white icons in the availability section are for non-culinary use

Use:
culinary use
medicinal use
household use

Other:
caution

General Glossary

• pinnate: with series of leaflets on each side of a central stalk

Glossary of Medicinal Terms and Nutritive Substances

• anti-periodic: prevents the return of or recurring illnesses (e.g. Malaria)
• astringent: causes localised contraction of blood vessels and tissue, reducing the flow of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
• bitter: bitter-tasting, stimulates appetite, increases bile flow, regulates insulin and glycogen
• carminative: prevents or eases effects of flatulence
• cathartic: strong laxative (less violent than purgative)
• diaphoretic: promotes perspiration, aids the skin in elimination of toxins
• diuretic: increases secretion and elimination of urine
• febrifuge: reduces fever; use only for dangerously high temperature; a raised temperature is the body's way of burning up the pathogen
• laxative: evacuates the bowels or softens stools
• purgative: produces evacuation of the bowels (more severe than aperients or laxatives)