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Lesquerella fendleri

Common name:	Bladder Pod	Family:	Cruciferae
Author:	(A.Gray.)S.Wats.	Botanical references:	274
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	South-western N. America - east to Kansas and south to N. Mexico.
Habitat:	Roadsides in open, sandy or rocky often calcareous soils[274].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	L. foliacea[B,P] L. praecox[B,P]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Fendler's Bladderpod [B,P],
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Capparales. Renamed to Brassicaceae -- Mustard family

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.4m. . The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

The seed yields up to 28% oil and 22% protein[269]. Average yields of 1.1 tonnes per hectare have been postulated and in small-scale experiments 1.6 tonnes has been attained[269]. The oil has possibilities in the manufacture of grease thickeners due to the hydroxy-acid content. Major amounts of hydroxy-acids occur in the obscure seed oils, among them Lesquerella, but few of them have been subjected to development. According to Osman and Ahmad (1981), the only hydroxylated vegetable oil commercially available is castor oil. Other potential sources include Castalis, Coriaria, Dimorphotheca, Hiptage, and Osteospermum[269].

Cultivation details

Bladderpod is reported to tolerate an annual precipitation of 30 to 110cm, an annual temperature range of 13 to 15° C and a pH in the range of 5.6 to 8.3[269].
The seeds germinate in the autumn, flower in the spring, and seed is harvested in late spring. This is indicative of its requirements for cool, semi-arid conditions during growth. The plant thrives in areas with 25 - 40 cm rainfall from September through April, suggestive of the requirements of winter grains. The plant responds well to irrigation. In Texas, massive populations thrive on calich soil. The plant is a pioneer on disturbed soils which are dry, open, well-drained sites. It will tolerate soils with basic reaction (pH 8.2 - 8.3) but not those with salt or gypsum.
The plant is reported to tolerate frost and high pH[269].
Bladder-pod is cultivated for the seed which yields up to 28% oil and 22% protein[269]. A relatively new crop, bladder-pod has no recognized cvs. Because it is very polymorphic, " certainly the most polymorphic in the genus" , it offers genetic material for selection and breeding[269].
In its native range, the plant is cold tolerant at altitudes of 1,200 - 2,100 m, suggesting its use for more northern cultivation.
At seed maturation or failing moisture, the plant dries and the taproot breaks off, allowing the dried plant to blow about like tumbleweeds, thus dispersing the seeds[269].

Propagation

Seed - we have no information for Britain, but in its native range the plant germinates in the autumn. Thus direct sowings in situ could be tried both in the autumn and in the spring in Britain[K]. Seeds can germinate after being dormant up to 5 years[269]. Under normal situations, light is required for germination[269]. Optimum germination temperature is 20° C[269].

Suppliers

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

Web References

[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HEC] Use, Folk Medicine, etc. from Handbook of Energy Crops by James Duke

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.

[269] Duke. J. Handbook of Energy Crops - 1983
Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of plants.

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.
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This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Lesquerella+fendleri
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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.