Arisarum vulgare
| Arisarum vulgare | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Arisarum vulgare (common name: friar's cowl)
Propagation: Seed - we have no details for this species but suggest sowing the seed in a shady part of the greenhouse as soon as it is ripe in the spring if this is possible. Sow stored seed in early spring. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on for at least the first winter in a greenhouse and plant out when dormant in the summer once the tuber has reached a reasonable size.
Division in spring after the plant dies down[1].
Cultivation: Prefers a woodland soil or a sandy loam with leafmould[1]. Grows well in shady rather moist places[1].
A Mediterranean plant, it commences growth in the autumn and, since the leaves are not very hardy, the plant is best grown under protection[2]. It should succeed outdoors at least in the milder parts of the country, if grown in a sheltered woodland. The plant is hardy to about -10°c for short periods but should be given a good mulch in the winter[3]. The plant becomes dormant in spring/summer[3].
Range: S. Europe.
Habitat: Grassy places, open ground[4] and rocky ground[2].
Edibility: Root - cooked. The acrid juice should first be removed by thorough and repeated washing leaving behind a nutritious and innoxious residue[5][6][7]. Thorough drying or cooking will also destroy any harmful elements of this root[K]. The root is frequently used as an emergency food in times of scarcity, it is about the size of a walnut[5].
One report suggests that the leaves might be edible[7]. If they are they must be well cooked first[K].
Usage: A good ground-cover plant for a shady place[1].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
In Leaf: Mid Fall-Mid Summer
Flower Type: Monoecious
Known Hazards: The plant contains calcium oxylate crystals. These cause an extremely unpleasant sensation similar to needles being stuck into the mouth and tongue if they are eaten but they are easily neutralized by thoroughly drying or cooking the plant or by steeping
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Bulbs. Pan Books, 1989.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of Greece and the Balkans. Oxford University Press, 1980.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.