Madia densifolia
| Madia densifolia | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Madia densifolia (common name: showy tarweed)
Propagation: Seed - sow in mid spring in situ and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within a couple of weeks.
Cultivation: We have very little information on this species and do not know how well it will grow in Britain, though it should succeed as a spring-sown annual. Some botanists say that it is no more than a form of M. elegans, a species that does succeed in this country. The following notes are based on the needs of that species.
Succeeds in any good garden soil[1]. Prefers a deep open sharply drained soil in a sunny position[2]. Another report says that it is best in a shady position[1].
The flowers open in the morning or evening, closing when exposed to bright sunlight[2].
Range: South-western N. America.
Habitat: Dry open places[3].
Edibility: Seed - raw or cooked[4][5][6]. Although quite small, the seed was a staple food for some native North American Indian tribes[6]. Rich in oil, it can be roasted then ground into a powder and eaten dry, mixed with water, or combined with cereal flours[4][5][6]. The seed was also used as piñole[6].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Monoecious
Also Known As: M. elegans densifolia. (Greene.)Keck.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 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.
- ↑ Hitchcock, Leo. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press, 1955.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.