Glyceria occidentalis

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Glyceria occidentalis
Light:Full Sun Part Shade
Moisture:Hydric
Soil pH:5.6-8.4
Height:3'
Native to:
Edible Rating:PFAF Edibility Rating
Tea:Yes
Poisonous

Glyceria occidentalis

Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse in a pot standing in 3 - 5cm of water. Surface sow the seed, or only just cover it. Germination should take place within 3 weeks. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer.

If you have sufficient seed then it can be sown outdoors in situ in mid to late spring.

Division in spring. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Cultivation: We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed here. It will require wet conditions or shallow water.

Range: Western N. America - Idaho to British Columbia, south to California and Nevada.

Habitat: Along the sides of lakes, ponds and streams, it is also found in marshy areas[1].

Edibility: Seed - cooked[2][3]. Ground into a flour and used as a cereal. Used for food by the native Indians[4]. The seed is very small and fiddly to harvest[K].

Pollinators: Wind

Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.

Flower Type: Hermaphrodite

Links

References

  1. Hitchcock, Leo. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press, 1955.
  2. Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
  3. Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
  4. Hitchcock, Albert. Manual of the Grasses of the United States. Dover Publications, 1971.