Salsola kali
| Salsola kali | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Salsola kali (common name: saltwort)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in situ. The seed has a short viability and should be stored cool over the winter[1].
Cultivation: Requires a very sunny position in a light or medium well-drained soil. Tolerates maritime exposure. The plant is reported to tolerate an annual precipitation in the range of 26 to 97cm, an annual temperature in the range of 9.2 to 23.8°C and a pH of 7.0 to 7.9[2].
This species was seen growing in a sunny bed at Cambridge Botanical Gardens in 1987, we have also grown it on a number of occasions[K].
This species is listed as a serious weed in many countries of the world[2].
Range: Coastal Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to N. Africa, Asia and N. America
Habitat: Non-saline sandy beaches, avoiding acid soils. It is usually found on dry soils[3][4].
Edibility: Young leaves and stems - raw or cooked[5][6][7][8]. An excellent food[9] with a crunchy tender texture[1]. The leaves can be used as a spinach substitute or added in small quantities to salads[10].
Seed - cooked. It can be ground into a meal and used as a gruel, thickener in soups etc or added to cereal flours when making bread etc[9]. The seed is small and hard to collect any quantity[9].
Medicinal: The juice of the fresh plant is an excellent diuretic[11]. The seedpods can also be used[11].
Salsolin, one of the constituents of the plant, has been used to regulate the blood pressure. It is said to resemble papaverine in its effect on vasoconstriction and hydrastine in its effect on the smooth muscles of the uterus[2].
Reported to be cathartic, diuretic, emmenagogue, stimulant, and vermifuge, the plant is a folk remedy for dropsy and excrescences[2].
Usage: The ashes of the burnt plant are used for making glass and soap[12]. At one time large quantities of the ashes were imported into Britain for this purpose, but nowadays a chemical process using salt is employed[11]. The ashes can also be used as a cleaner for fabrics[13].
As a low-water-use plant, germinating quickly on minimally disturbed soils, and relatively free of diseases and parasites, this has been suggested as a fuel source for arid lands[2]. Yields of around 3 tonnes per hectare of plant material have been achieved[2].
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates maritime wind exposure
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The plant contains up to 5% oxalic acid, so it should only be used in moderation[2]. Oxalic acid can lock up certain of the nutrients in food and, if eaten in excess, can lead to nutritional deficiencies. It is, however, perfectly safe in small amounts
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Larkcom, Joy. Oriental Vegetables. John Murray, 1991.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Duke, James. Handbook of Energy Crops. 1983.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Tutin, Tom et al.. Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press, 1964.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Elias, Thomas. A Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1982.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Harrington, Harold. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press, 1967.
- ↑ Launert, Edmund. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn, 1981.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of Europe. Oxford University Press, 1969.
- ↑ Buchanan, Rita. A Weavers Garden.