Descurainia incana
| Descurainia incana | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Descurainia incana (common name: mountain tansy mustard)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in situ.
Cultivation: We have almost no information on this species but since it is a casual in Britain there should be no problems in cultivating it here and it is probably not too fussy about soil or situation. We suggest growing it in a dry to moist soil in a sunny position.
There is some confusion as to the correct name for this species with some authorities using the name D. richardsonii.
Range: Western N. America. A casual in Britain[1].
Habitat: Found in many habitats at lower mountain elevations[2].
Edibility: Young leaves - cooked. A bitter taste[3].
Seed - raw or cooked[4][5]. The seed can be used as a mustard substitute in soups, stews etc. It can be roasted, ground into a powder then mixed with water to make a fine batter and drunk[6]. The seed is also ground into a meal and mixed with cereal flours when making bread, or as a thickening for soups etc[7][3].
Medicinal: The plant has been used as a lotion for parts of the body that have become frozen in the cold and also as a lotion for sore throats[6]. No more information is given, but it is likely that the crushed seed was used for this since, being similar to mustard, it will probably have a rubefacient effect upon the skin, drawing more blood to that area of the body and thereby heating it[K].
The plant is mashed and applied to bad cuts[6].
Pollinators: Self
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: D. richardsonii. (Sw.)Schulz. Sophia incisa.
Links
References
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Hitchcock, Leo. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press, 1955.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Harrington, Harold. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press, 1967.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.