Nicandra physaloides
| Nicandra physaloides | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 8 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 4' |
| Speed: | Fast |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Nicandra physaloides (common name: shoo fly)
Propagation: Seed - sow in situ in late spring, preferably after the last expected frosts[1]. Young seedlings can be transplanted. The seed can remain dormant for several decades[1].
Cultivation: Succeeds in ordinary garden soil[2], but prefers a rich well-drained soil in a sunny position[1].
Plants withstand poor weather conditions well and do not usually require staking[1].
Plants are fast-growing[3] and often self-sow freely[1].
Individual flowers only live for one day, but the plant produces a succession of flowers from summer to early autumn[3].
Range: S. America - Peru. Introduced and casual in Britain.
Habitat: Naturalized in waste places and near dwellings in much of N. America[4].
Edibility: Fruit[5]. No more details are given. The fruit is a berry about 15mm in diameter[1].
Young leaves - boiled[5]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Medicinal: The plant is diuretic[6]. There is no evidence to suggest that the plant is purgative, though an alkaloid with mydriatic action is present[6].
The seeds are used in Tibetan medicine, they are said to have an acrid taste and a cooling, very poisonous potency[7]. Analgesic, anthelmintic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and febrifuge, regular use increases bodily vigour[7]. They are used in the treatment of contagious disorders, toothache, intestinal pain from worms and impotence[7]. A decoction of the seeds is used in the treatment of fevers[8].
Usage: The plant is thought to repel flies[3].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Although no mention of toxicity has been seen for this species, it belongs to a family that contains many species of poisonous plants so some caution is advised. It is normally the leaves and the unripe fruits that are most likely to be suspect, this fami
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ Livingstone, B. Flora of Canada. National Museums of Canada, 1978.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Tsarong, Tsewang. Tibetan Medicinal Plants. Tibetan Medical Publications, 1994.
- ↑ Manandhar, Narayan. Plants and People of Nepal. Timber Press, 2002.