Dalea candida oligophylla
| Dalea candida | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Dalea candida oligophylla (common name: white prairie clover)
Propagation: Seed - pre-soak for 12 hours in warm water and sow in early spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer[1].
Cultivation: Requires a well-drained soil in full sun[1]. A deep-rooted plant, it prefers a sandy loam with added leaf mould[2]. This species is well-suited to informal and naturalistic plantings, especially as part of a collection of native species[1].
We are not sure how hardy this plant is in Britain, but judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in many parts of the country.
Plants are monocarpic, living for a number of years without flowering and then dying after flowering[1].
The stems, leaves and flowers are dotted with glands, making the plant look blistered[1].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[1].
Range: Central N. America - southwards from Canada.
Habitat: Dry desert and alluvial soils to 2000 metres[3][1]. Prairies and open wods on sandy, clayey and rocky soils[4].
Edibility: Root - raw or chewed for its pleasant sweet flavour[5][6][7]. The root can be dried, ground into a powder and stored for later use[8].
Leaves - cooked[9]. The peeled stems have been used as a food[8].
A tea-like beverage is made from the dried leaves[6].
Medicinal: The plant is a strong emetic[10].
A poultice of the plant has been used to treat wounds[8].
Usage: An infusion of the roots has been used as a hair wash to prevent the hair from falling out[8].
The plant has been used for making light brooms[8].
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Petalostemon oligophyllum. (Torr.)Rydb.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ Diggs, George and Barney Lipscomb. Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas. Botanical Research Institute, 1999.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Whiting, Alfred. Ethnobotany of the Hopi. North Arizona Society of Science and Art, 1939.