Schisandra chinensis, whose fruit is called schisandra, magnolia berry or five-flavor fruit, is a vine plant native to forests of Northern China, the Russian Far East, Korea, and Japan. It is hardy in USDA Zones 4-8. The fruits are red berries in dense clusters around 10 centimetres (3.9 in) long.
Names The berry is commonly known as "five-flavor berry." In Mandarin it is called wǔwèizi (五味子; 'five-flavor berry'); in Korean, omija (Hangul: 오미자). These names refer to the idea that the berry possesses all five of the basic flavors: bitter, sweet, sour, salty and pungent. Sometimes it is more specifically called běi wǔwèizi (北五味子; 'northern five-flavor berry') to distinguish it from another schisandraceous plant, Kadsura japonica, that grows only in subtropical areas. Another species of schisandra berry, Schisandra sphenanthera, has a similar but different biochemical profile. The Chinese Pharmacopeia (2015) distinguishes between S. chinensis and S. sphenanthera (南五味子; nán wǔwèizi; 'southern five-flavor berry').
Taxonomy The genus Schisandra was first published by André Michaux in 1803, the name deriving from the Greek words schizein ('to split') and andros ('man'), referring to the separate anther cells on the stamens. In the 21st century, Schisandra chinensis belongs to the family of Schisandraceae. In earlier years, it was assumed that the species belonged to the family of Magnoliaceae, hence the name Chinese magnolia-vine. However, many differences in plant phenology between Schisandra and members of Magnoliaceae led to the formation of Schisandraceae.
Description
Vegetative plant organs Schisandra chinensis is a perennial, deciduous woody vine plant found at high latitudes and in cool climatic conditions. It commonly grows in natural coniferous or mixed forests or along streams and climbs up other trees or shrubs to reach optimal light conditions. The prostrate woody stems usually grow 8–9 metres (26–30 ft) tall, but can reach a length of up to 25m. They are dark brown in colour and can reach 1.5–2 cm in thickness. New shoots are typically short, but they continue their growth after flowering until late in the season. The leaves are simple, oval-shaped (5–11 cm long and 3–7 cm wide) and alternating and the petioles have a slight red colouring. Multicellular trichomes are located on the abaxial leaf lamina. Stomata show an irregular, random distribution. The roots of Schisandra chinensis are branched and stay close to the soil surface. Nodes located on the stems can also produce roots.
Generative plant organs This species is typically dioecious, and therefore not self-fertile, as flowers on a female plant will only produce fruit when fertilized with pollen from a male plant. However, a hybrid selection titled 'Eastern Prince' has perfect flowers and is self-fertile. Seedlings of 'Eastern Prince' are sometimes sold under the same name, but are typically single-sex plants. The female flowers are white or cream-coloured and turn slightly reddish to the end of the flowering season. They have 5–12 waxy, spirally arranged tepals forming the perianth and 12–120 pistils. The tepals show a transition in colour from green for the outer tepals to more pigmentation for the inner ones. The flowers typically grow out of the leaf axils in clusters, later forming grape clusters with berries, but can also be found solitary. The male flower has 5 stamens with filaments of different lengths The flowers of S. chinensis are important for various pollinators such as bees, beetles and small moths. The fruits of Schisandra chinensis are red berries which are smooth and shiny, have a spherical shape and reach 5–10 mm in diameter. They grow in dense hanging clusters of 2–5 berries which reach a length of about 6–8 cm. Each berry usually contains 1–2 brownish yellow kidney-shaped seeds. The seeds have the capacity to stay dormant and to form seed banks. Distribution of seeds mainly occurs through birds.
Climate and soil requirements Wild plants of Schisandra chinensis mostly grow in mixed forests, valleys and open forest spaces. The plant can grow in wet environments and tolerates cold temperatures to −30 °C. Its optimal growing temperature is at 20–25 °C. Schisandra grows in acidic (pH of 6.5 – 6.8), deep and loose sandy loam soils. Furthermore, Schisandra cannot withstand dense and compact soils and prefers soils rich in humus. The plant grows in shade with moist, well-drained soil.
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