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Adenophora latifolia - Fisch.

Author	Fisch.	Botanical references	1, 74
Family	Campanulaceae	Genus	Adenophora
Synonyms	Adenophora pereskiaefolia - G.Don.
Known Hazards	None known
Range	E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea, Siberia.
Habitat	Shrubby formations, broad-leaved and pine forests, forest edges, dry meadows and stony slopes[74].
Edibility Rating	2 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	0 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.45m by 0.5m.

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

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge; Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves; Root.

Root - cooked[46, 61, 105, 177]. Leaves - cooked[105, 177].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Prefers a light rich slightly alkaline soil that is not too dry, and a warm sunny position[1, 200]. Intolerant of root disturbance[1]. The young growth is extremely attractive to slugs, they have been known to destroy even mature plants[K].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe[200]. The seed can also be sown in spring. Surface sow 2 - 3 seeds per pot in the spring in order to avoid transplanting[133]. We have found that if transplanted when very small seedlings grow away without difficulty[K]. Germinates in 1 - 3 months at 10°c[133]. Plant out into their permanent positions whilst young. Basal cuttings in spring[K]. Division in spring - very difficult because the plant dislikes root disturbance[1]..

Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: Edible Ornamental Plants.

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 Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[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.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[74] Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968
An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers.

[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.

[133] Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan. 1987
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.

[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

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

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