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Scorzonera hispanica

Common name: Scorzonera Family: Compositae
Author: L. Botanical references: 50, 200
Synonyms:  
Known Hazards: None known
Range: S. Europe.
Habitat: Cultivated ground, rocks and bushy places[50].
Edibility Rating (1-5): 4Medicinal Rating (1-5):0

Other Common Names:From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
Black Salsify [H,L,P], Black-salsify [B], Escorzonera [E], Grote Schorseneer [D], Kara Iskorcina [E],
Epithets:From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
hispanica = Spanish;
Systematics:From a USDA Plants Database
Order: Asterales. Renamed to Asteraceae -- Aster family
Other Range Info: From the Ethnobotany Database
Spain; Turkey

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 1m. It is hardy to zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from June to September, and the seeds ripen from July to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate it 4/5 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 can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Cultivated Beds.

Cultivar 'Duplex': Cultivated Beds.

Edible Uses

Coffee; Flowers; Leaves; Root.

Root - cooked[2, 27, 33, 37, 105]. A sweet agreeable flavour[1]. The root is usually eaten at the end of its first year of growth, but it can be grown on for a second year without becoming tough[200]. The root is rich in inulin[46] - this is a starch that is not easily digested by humans and so generally passes straight through the digestive system and is excreted. Inulin can cause flatulence in some people[K].
Leaves - raw[27, 33, 52]. The tender young shoots are usually eaten in early spring[183].
Flower buds - raw[57]. Added to salads[183]. The petals have their own distinctive flavour and can also be added to salads[183].
The roasted root is used as a coffee substitute[183].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Repellent.

The growing plant is said to repel carrot root fly from carrots growing nearby[18].

Cultivation details

Succeeds in any soil in sun or light shade[200]. Prefers a light soil[37].
Occasionally cultivated for its edible root, there are some named varieties[183].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in situ. If the weather is dry, it will be advisable to water the seed in well or germination will be delayed. The seed can also be sown in situ in August.
Division in autumn or as growth commences in 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.

Cultivars

'Duplex'
The cylindrical roots are up to 25cm long. Theey have a deep black skin and a creamy white flesh with a delicious flavour and excellent quality[183]. A high yielding cultivar, it should be planted early in rich, deeply worked soil.

Suppliers

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

Web References

References for scorzonera hispanica (a possible synonym).

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.

[18] Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979
Details of beneficial and antagonistic relationships between neighbouring plants.

[27] Vilmorin. A. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press ISBN 0-89815-041-8
A reprint of a nineteenth century classic, giving details of vegetable varieties. Not really that informative though.

[33] Organ. J. Rare Vegetables for Garden and Table. Faber 1960
Unusual vegetables that can be grown outdoors in Britain. A good guide.

[37] Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. 1878
Excellent general but extensive guide to gardening practices in the 19th century. A very good section on fruits and vegetables with many little known species.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[50] ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964
An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.

[52] Larkcom. J. Salads all the Year Round. Hamlyn 1980
A good and comprehensive guide to temperate salad plants, with full organic details of cultivation.

[57] Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.
Fairly readable but not very comprehensive. Deals with plants from around the world.

[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.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

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

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