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Scorzonera divaricata

Common name:		Family:	Compositae
Author:	Turcz.	Botanical references:
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - Himalayas, Manchuria, Mongolia.
Habitat:	Well-drained dry grassy and rocky habitats[200].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	divaricata = spreading;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Asterales. Renamed to Asteraceae -- Aster family

Physical Characteristics

Perennial. . The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) 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

Leaves; Root.

Root - cooked[105, 177].
Leaves - cooked[105, 177].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Latex.

A latex is obtained by maceration of the root. It is used for making a high class rubber[110].

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. There is some confusion over the correct name for this species, this name might be no more than a synonym for S. virgata. See [51] which lists S. divaricate. Hook.f. (a different author to the one we are using) as a synonym of S. virgata. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus.
Succeeds in any soil in sun or light shade[200].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in the greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle into relatively deep pots to accommodate the tap root. If growth is good, plant out in early summer, other wise grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter and plant them out in late spring of the following year.
Division in autumn or as growth commences in the spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the 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

[51] Polunin. O. and Stainton. A. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press 1984
A very readable and good pocket guide (if you have a very large pocket!) to many of the wild plants in the Himalayas. Gives many examples of plant uses.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[110] Polhamus. L. G. Rubber: Botany, Cultivation and Utilization.
Mainly tropical plants with a small section on temperate plants for rubber.

[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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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?Scorzonera+divaricata
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Scorzonera+divaricata

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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.