Spergula arvensis
| Spergula arvensis | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-7.3 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 2' |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Spergula arvensis (common name: corn spurrey)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring or autumn in situ. Some seed germinates in the autumn in the wild while some germinates in the spring.
Cultivation: Prefers a sandy lime-free soil[1] and a sunny position. A calcifuge plant, requiring a neutral to acid soil[2].
The flowers are only open in the morning.
Range: An almost cosmopolitan plant, found in most regions of the world, including Britain.
Habitat: Arable land, often as a troublesome weed[2].
Edibility: Leaves and young plants[3]. No more details are given.
Seed - cooked. It can be dried and ground into a meal then used with flour for making bread etc[4][5][6]. The seed is rich in oil[3]. A famine food, it is only used when all else fails[7]. The seed contains saponins so some caution is advised. See the notes above on toxicity.
Medicinal: The plant has been used as a diuretic[8].
Pollinators: Flies, self
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The seed, and probably also the leaves, contain saponins[3]. Although toxic, these substances are very poorly absorbed by the body and so tend to pass through without causing harm. They are also broken down by thorough cooking. Saponins are found in man
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References
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Coon, Nelson. The Dictionary of Useful Plants. Rodale Press, 1975.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.