Polygonum viviparum
| Polygonum viviparum | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 3 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Width: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Polygonum viviparum (common name: alpine bistort)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Germination is usually free and easy. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer if they have reached sufficient size. If not, overwinter them in a cold frame and plant them out the following spring after the last expected frosts.
Division in spring or autumn. Very easy, 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: Succeeds in an ordinary garden soil[1] but prefers a moisture retentive not too fertile soil in sun or part shade[2]. Repays generous treatment[1].
Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[3].
Plants do not often produce viable seed, reproducing by means of bulbils formed on the lower portion of the flowering stem.
Range: Arctic and northern regions of Europe, including Britain, Asia and America. On mountains in south.
Habitat: Mountain grassland and wet rocks[4].
Edibility: Leaves - raw or cooked[5][6]. They have a pleasant tart taste when cooked[7].
Seed - raw or cooked[6]. The seed is not often produced and even when it is, it is rather small and fiddly to utilize. It is rich in starch[8]. It is pickled in Nepal[9].
Root - raw or cooked[10][11][5][8]. Starchy and pleasant but rather small[7][12][6]. Sweet, nutty and wholesome[13]. They taste best when roasted[13].
Bulbils from lower part of flowering stem - raw[5].
Medicinal: The root is astringent and styptic[6][14]. It is used in the treatment of abscesses, as a gargle to treat sore throats and spongy gums, and as a lotion for ulcers[14].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Although no specific mention has been made for this species, there have been reports that some members of this genus can cause photosensitivity in susceptible people._x005F
Many species also contain oxalic acid (the distinctive lemony flavour of sorrel) - whil
Also Known As: Bistorta vivipara. (L.)S.F.Gray.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Elias, Thomas. A Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1982.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Schofield, Janice. Discovering Wild Plants.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Harrington, Harold. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press, 1967.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Jingwei, Zhang and Ching-Wei Chang. Alpine Plants of China. Horizon Books, 1982.
- ↑ Manandhar, Narayan. Plants and People of Nepal. Timber Press, 2002.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.