Arracacia xanthorrhiza
| Arracacia xanthorrhiza | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 9 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 3' |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Arracacia xanthorrhiza (common name: arracacha)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Do not allow the compost to dry out. Germination is often poor, less than 50%[1]. Since this species is believed to be a hybrid it will probably not breed true from seed. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on for the first year in a greenhouse and plant out in late spring after the last expected frosts.
Division. Harvest the roots in the autumn, store overwinter and plant out in the spring. The plant forms a clump of tubers around a central root, each tuber can be used to grow a new plant. Traditionally the base of the tuber is repeatedly slashed to stimulate shoots to form and encourage a uniform arrangement of lateral roots. They are then left for a few days to heal before planting them out[1].
Cultivation: Prefers a good loam. Grows best in a sandy loam with a pH in the range of 5 to 6, in areas with about 1000mm of rain a year, requiring a minimum rainfall of about 600mm[1]. Tolerates a pH in the range 6.3 to 6.8.
This species is not very hardy in Britain but it can be grown here as a half-hardy perennial, the roots being harvested in the autumn, stored overwinter in a cool frost-free place and planted out in the spring[2].
This species is often cultivated for its edible root in S. America, where there are many named varieties[3][4][5][6]. Attempts in the 19th century to cultivate it as a commercial crop in Europe, however, were unsuccessful[3]. Plants take about 120 - 240 days from planting to produce a crop and 300 - 400 days to produce a crop of mature tubers[1]. At harvest time there can be as many as 10 tubers each the size of a carrot formed around the central root196]. One plant can yield 2 - 3 kg of edible roots, total yields of 40 tonnes per hectare are possible[1]. Preventing the plant from flowering can increase yields[1]. Plants might be sensitive to daylength, possibly requiring short days to initiate tuber production, and so may not be suitable for temperate climates. They also have a longer growing season than potatoes and are frost-tender so need a relatively long growing season[1].
Plants do not always produce viable seed in S. America[1].
Range: Northern S. America
Habitat: Cool mountainous districts[3].
Edibility: Tuber - cooked[7][4][5][8][9]. Very palatable and easily digested[2][1], it is used as a staple food in some parts of S. America[3]. The root contains 10 - 25% starch, it is high in calcium and vitamin A[1]. It is used as a potato substitute, its flavour is between that of parsnips and sweet chestnuts with a hint of sweetness[3][10]. The sweetness increases in storage[1]. The root is also used as the source of starch used in other foods[10]. The roots are harvested in the autumn and have a relatively short storage life[1].
Leaves. Used as a flavouring[6].
Young stems - raw or cooked as a vegetable[10][1]. The stems are sometimes blanched and used like celery in salads[1].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: A. esculenta. Conium arracacia.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 Popenoe, Hugh. Lost Crops of the Incas. National Academy Press, 1990.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Douglas, James. Alternative Foods.
- ↑ Towle, Margaret. The Ethnobotany of Pre-Columbian Peru.
- ↑ Hill, Albert. Economic Botany. The Maple Press, 1952.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.