Menu list goes here

Herbal Database Search Results

Back to: Pathways Main Search Page For Metaphysical uses visit The Witchs Haven

Orogenia linearifolia

Common name:	Indian Potato	Family:	Umbelliferae
Author:	Watson.	Botanical references:	60
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	Western N. America - Montana to W. Colorado and west to Utah and Washington.
Habitat:	Open mountain sides and ridges, often in sandy or gravelly soils[85], and often near vernal snow banks where it blooms as soon as the snow melts[60].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	4	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	O. linearifolia var. lata[B,P]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Great Basin Indian Potato [P], Great Basin Indian-potato [B],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	linearifolia = linear leaves
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Apiales. Renamed to Apiaceae -- Carrot family

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.15m. . It is in flower from April to May. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile. We rate it 4/5 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 moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Cultivated Beds.

Edible Uses

Root.

Root - raw or cooked[212]. The raw root tastes like potatoes[212]. A pleasant crisp taste, though the outer skin has a slightly bitter taste[85]. The root is available at almost any time of the year, its only drawback is that it is a bit small and fiddly to harvest in quantity[85]. It may respond to cultivation.

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in most parts of the country. From its native habitat it can be assumed that the plant requires a sunny position in a moist but well drained light to medium soil[K].

Propagation

Seed - no information has been found. It is probably best to sow the seed as soon as it is ripe in late spring or early summer. Sow in pots in a cold frame and when they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots. Grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter and plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Division should be possible at any time the plant is dormant, probably from mid summer to late winter.

Suppliers

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

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Alternative Root Crops.

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.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants 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.

[60] Hitchcock. C. L. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press 1955
A standard flora for Western N. America with lots of information on habitat etc. Five large volumes, it is not for the casual reader.

[85] Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9
A superb book. Very readable, it gives the results of the authors experiments with native edible plants.

[212] Craighead. J., Craighead. F. and Davis. R. A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers The Riverside Press 1963 ISBN 63-7093
Excellent little pocket guide to the area, covering 590 species and often giving details of their uses.

Readers Comments

Main Search Page Help Bibliography

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?Orogenia+linearifolia
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Orogenia+linearifolia

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
(You can copy, distribute, display this works but: Attribution is required, its for Non-Commercial purposes, and it's Share Alike (GNUish/copyleft) i.e. has an identical license.)
We also ask that you let us know (michael@thewitchshaven.com) if you link to, redistribute, make a derived work or do anything groovy with this information.

Pathways Home :: View Cart :: Shipping & Returns :: Contact Us :: Privacy Policy :: Philosophy :: The Witchs Haven

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.