Kosteletzkya pentacarpos
| Kosteletzkya pentacarpos | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 3' |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Kosteletzkya pentacarpos
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Division in spring.
Cultivation: Prefers a deep rich moist sandy soil in a warm sunny position[1][2].
Plants are hardy to at least -15°c[2].
Range: Europe - Italy to the Caspian sea.
Habitat: Seaside bogs of the Caspian littoral, along the west and south coasts[3].
Edibility: Leaves - raw or cooked[4][5][6]. They are used as a potherb or to thicken soups[7][8]. The leaves can be eaten raw but are rather fibrous and somewhat hairy, though the taste is pleasant[K].
Flowers - raw. Added to salads[9].
The following uses are recorded for Althaea officinalis, they are said to also apply to this species[9]:-
Root - raw or cooked[9]. When boiled and then fried with onions it is said to make a palatable dish that is often used in times of shortage[5]. The root is used as a vegetable[7][10][8], it is also dried then ground into a powder, made into a paste and roasted to make the sweet 'marshmallow'[5][11][12][13][9].
The water left over from cooking any part of the plant can be used as an egg-white substitute in making meringues etc[7]. The water from the root is the most effective[8], it is concentrated by boiling until it has a similar consistency to egg white.
A tea is made from the flowers[8]. A tea can also be made from the root[8].
Usage: A strong fibre is obtained from the stems. It is used for making string, nets etc[3].
The following uses are recorded for Althaea officinalis, they are said to also apply to this species[9]:-
A glue can be made from the root[3].
An oil from the seed is used in making paints and varnishes[3].
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Komarov, Vladimir. Flora of the USSR. Gantner Verlag, 1968.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of Europe. Oxford University Press, 1969.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Elias, Thomas. A Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1982.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Carruthers, S. Alternative Enterprises for Agriculture in the UK. Centre for Agricultural Strategy, Univ. of Reading, 1986.
- ↑ Mabey, Richard. Food for Free. Collins, 1974.
- ↑ Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.