Pittosporum balansae

Physical Characteristics

Pittosporum balansae is an evergreen Shrub growing to 3 m (9ft 10in). It is in leaf all year, in flower from April to June, and the seeds ripen from August to December. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

Distribution

E. Asia - China.

Habitats

Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit Edible Uses: Fruit[177]. No more details are given.

Medicinal Uses

None known

Known Hazards

Although no mention has been found for this species, some members of this genus contain saponins. Saponins are found in many foods, such as some beans, and although they are fairly toxic to people they are poorly absorbed by the body and most pass straight through without any problem. They are also broken down if the food is thoroughly cooked for a long time. Saponins are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish[K].