Oxyria digyna
| Oxyria digyna | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 2 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Width: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Late Summer |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Oxyria digyna (common name: mountain sorrel)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame and only just cover the seed. The seed germinates within 2 weeks. It can also be sown as soon as it is ripe, when it germinates within a few days. Prick the seedlings out into individual pots as soon as they are ripe and plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer.
Division in the spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.
Cultivation: Prefers a moist well-drained rocky soil in a sunny position or partial shade[1]. Requires a lime free soil[1]. There is some controversy here since the plant is said to avoid acid soils in the wild[K].
Range: Mountains of the northern temperate zone, including Britain.
Habitat: Damp rocky places on mountains, especially by streams, avoiding acid soils[2]. Locally common on enriched soils below bird roosts[1].
Edibility: Leaves - raw or cooked[3][4][5][6][7]. A pleasing acid taste[8] and an excellent potherb[9]. A very nice addition to salads[K]. The leaves can be fermented into a sauerkraut for winter use[8]. Use in moderation, see notes at top of sheet,
Medicinal: The leaves are rich in vitamin C and are used to treat scurvy[10].
The roots, stems and leaves are cooked and eaten in the treatment of dysentery[11].
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Mid Summer-Late Summer
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The leaves contain oxalic acid, which gives them their sharp flavour. Perfectly all right in small quantities, the leaves should not be eaten in large amounts since oxalic acid can bind up the body's supply of calcium leading to nutritional deficiency. Th
Also Known As: Rheum digynum.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Elias, Thomas. A Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1982.
- ↑ Harrington, Harold. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press, 1967.
- ↑ Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Davis, Ray and Frank Craighead. A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers. The Riverside Press, 1963.
- ↑ Manandhar, Narayan. Plants and People of Nepal. Timber Press, 2002.