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Arthropodium milleflorum - (DC.)Macbr.

Pale Vanilla Lily

Author	(DC.)Macbr.	Botanical references	200
Family	Asphodelaceae	Genus	Arthropodium
Synonyms	Arthropodium paniculatum - R.Br. Arthropodium pendulum - Invalid name
Known Hazards	None known
Range	Australia - New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria.
Habitat	Found in a variety of habitats from the coast to alpine areas. Eucalyptus forests, woodlands and sub-alpine meadows, favouring moist grassy sheltered slopes[193].
Edibility Rating	3 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	0 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.3m.

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

Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Root.

Root - cooked[144]. Rather watery with a slightly sweet or bitter flavour[193]. Plants produce about 4 - 5 tubers up to 3cm long[193].

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

Scented Plants

Leaves: Crushed

The plant has a strong scent of vanilla, this is especially noticeable on warm days.

Cultivation details

Prefers a well-drained sandy peaty loam in a warm, sheltered sunny position[200]. Succeeds in areas where temperatures seldom fall much below freezing so long as it is given a sunny sheltered position and a well-drained soil[200]. Plants are hardy to at least -7°c in Australian gardens[157], though this cannot be translated directly to British gardens due to our cooler summers and colder longer and wetter winters. The plant has a strong scent of vanilla, this is especially noticeable on warm days[157].

Propagation

Seed - sow late winter in a cold greenhouse. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on for at least their first winter in a greenhouse. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in spring.

Links

References

[144] Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana 1976 ISBN 0-00-634436-4
A very good pocket guide.

[157] Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M. Australian Native Plants. Collins. (Australia) 1988 ISBN 0-7322-0021-0
A lovely book, written in order to encourage Australian gardeners to grow their native plants. A little bit of information for the plant project.

[193] Low. T. Wild Food Plants of Australia. Angus and Robertson. 1989 ISBN 0-207-14383-8
Well presented, clear information and good photographs. An interesting read for the casual reader as well as the enthusiast

[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.

Arthropodium milleflorum

M Smith Mon Mar 27 2006

Botany Photo of the Day Images of the vanilla lily

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