Tripsacum dactyloides
| Tripsacum dactyloides | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 8' |
| Width: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Late Summer-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Tripsacum dactyloides (common name: sesame grass)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer.
Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the summer or the following spring.
Cultivation: A very easily grown plant, it succeeds in ordinary garden soil[1].
A fairly hardy plant, it withstands severe frost in S. England[1] and seems to be perfectly hardy in Cambridge Botanical gardens[K].
This species is currently (1992) under development as a potential perennial grain crop[2]. The seed has a very high protein content and this can be sacrificed to some extent in order to try and improve overall yields (these are quite low at present)[2].
Bi-generic hybrids with Zea spp are known to occur[3].
Range: Eastern N. America - Massachusetts to Michigan and Nebraska, south to Florida, Oklahoma and Texas.
Habitat: Swales, moist fields, woodland edges and shores[4].
Edibility: Seed - cooked or ground into a flour[5][2]. The popped seed is almost indistinguishable from strawberry popcorn[2]. Seeds contain about 27% protein, this is about 3 times the protein found in corn and twice that of wheat. It is also about twice as high in the amino acid methionine as corn[2].
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Monoecious
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Grounds, Roger. Ornamental Grasses. Christopher Helm, 1989.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.