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Albuca canadensis

Common name:		Family:	Hyacinthaceae
Author:	(L.)F.M.Leight.	Botanical references:	73, 200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	S. Africa.
Habitat:	Sandy places on flats and lower slopes[73].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	1	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Ornithogalum canadensis[G]
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	canadensis = northeastern America; cana = grayed due to hairs;

Physical Characteristics

Bulb growing to 0.3m by 0.15m . It is hardy to zone 8. It is in flower in April. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate it 1/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Cultivated Beds.

Edible Uses

Stem.

The succulent stems are chewed to allay thirst[177]. They are rather mucilaginous[2]. This use is listed for A. major, but since this species is so closely related it almost certainly has the same use[K].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Requires a sheltered position in full sun in a light well-drained soil[200].
Succeeds outdoors in areas where frosts are short-lived and light, to a minimum of -5°, and in such areas grow well in a wild or informal garden[200]. It is best to give the bulbs some protection in the winter, preferably using a cloche or pane of glass[1].
This species is closely related to A. major and that species is included here by some botanists[73, 200].

Propagation

Seed - we have no details for this species but suggest sowing the seed in a greenhouse in a light well-drained compost as soon as it is ripe if possible, otherwise in spring. Sow the seed thinly so that the young plants can be grown on in the same pot for their first year of growth. Apply a liquid feed from time to time if the seedlings look as though they need nutrients and prick them out at the end of their first growing season. Grow on the plants for at least their next winter in a greenhouse and plant out when the bulbs are dormant in late summer or early autumn.
Division of offsets in late summer.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[73] Adamson. and Salter. Flora of the Cape Peninsula.
A good flora but rather short on details of habitat. Not for the casual reader.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Albuca+canadensis
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We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.