Bergenia crassifolia

Bergenia crassifolia is a plant species in the genus Bergenia. Common names for the species include heart-leaved bergenia,[1][2] heartleaf bergenia, leather bergenia,[2] winter-blooming bergenia,[3] elephant-ears,[1] elephant's ears,[2] Korean elephant-ear,[4] badan, pigsqueak,[3] Siberian tea,[2] and Mongolian tea. The species epithet crassifolia means "thick-leaved", while the epithet in the synonym Bergenia cordifolia means "cordate (heart-shaped) leaf" (although the leaves may also be described as spoon-shaped). It grows to about 12 inches (30 cm) tall. The leaves are winter hardy in warmer climates and change color in the range of rust brown to brown-red. It is a widely-grown garden plant; cultivars include Bergenia cordifolia 'Purpurea', Bergenia cordifolia 'Winterglut', Bergenia cordifolia 'Senior', and Bergenia crassifolia 'Autumn Red'.

Bergenia crassifolia
Bergenia crassifolia, like many of its congeners, was originally believed to be a saxifrage
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Saxifragaceae
Genus: Bergenia
Species:
B. crassifolia
Binomial name
Bergenia crassifolia
Varieties

Bergenia crassifolia var. crassifolia
Bergenia crassifolia var. pacifica

Synonyms

Bergenia cordifolia (Haw.) Sternb.
Saxifraga cordifolia Haw.
Saxifraga crassifola L.

Bergenia crassifolia is used as a tea substitute in its native Siberia, Altay and Mongolia. The plant contains the polyphenols arbutin,[5] kaempferol 3-lathyroside, catechin 3-O-gallate,[6] tannins and the pectin bergenan.[7]

See also
  • List of the vascular plants of Britain and Ireland 4

References
  1. "BSBI List 2007". Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-01-25. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  2. Tomasz Aniśko. When Perennials Bloom: An Almanac for Planning and Planting. Timber Press, 2008. ISBN 9780881928877 p. 121.
  3. Ruth Rogers Clausen and Thomas Christopher. Essential Perennials: The Complete Reference to 2700 Perennials for the Home Garden. Timber Press, 2015. ISBN 9781604696721. p. 88.
  4. English Names for Korean Native Plants (PDF). Pocheon: Korea National Arboretum. 2015. p. 372. ISBN 978-89-97450-98-5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2016 – via Korea Forest Service.
  5. Natural Resources Containing Arbutin. Determination of Arbutin in the Leaves of Bergenia crassifolia (L.) Fritsch. acclimated in Romania. Carmen Pop, Laurian Vlase, Mircea Tamas, Not. Bot. Hort. Agrobot. Cluj 37 (1) 2009, 129-132 Archived August 23, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  6. Bergenia on metabolomics.jp
  7. Structural study of bergenan, a pectin from Bergenia crassifolia. V. V. Golovchenko, O. A. Bushneva, R. G. Ovodova, A. S. Shashkov, A. O. Chizhov and Yu. S. Ovodov, Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry, Volume 33, Number 1, 47-56, doi:10.1134/S1068162007010050
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