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Asphodelus aestivus - Brot.

Author	Brot.	Botanical references	89, 200
Family	Asphodelaceae	Genus	Asphodelus
Synonyms	Asphodelus microcarpus - Salzm.&Viv. Asphodelus ramosus - L.
Known Hazards	None known
Range	S. Europe. N. Africa. W. Asia.
Habitat	Rocky places, hills, dry places[89] and on poor uncultivated ground[42].
Edibility Rating	3 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	1 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen Perennial growing to 1m by 0.3m.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge; Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Root; Seed; Stem.

Tuber - cooked[4]. Rich in starch[89, 177]. Dried and boiled in water it yields a mucilaginous matter which can be mixed with grain to make a nutritious bread[4, 105]. Boiling destroys the acrid principle in the tubers[4], rendering them quite pleasant to eat[K]. Flowering stalk - cooked[89, 148]. Seed - roasted[89, 148].

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.

Acrid; Antispasmodic; Diuretic; Emmenagogue.

The root, gathered at the end of its first year, is acrid, antispasmodic, diuretic, emmenagogue[4]. It was used in the treatment of several diseases by the Greeks and Romans, but is not employed in modern medicine[4].

Other Uses

Adhesive; Dye.

The dried tuber is pulverized and mixed with cold water to make a strong glue[4] that is used by bookmakers and shoemakers[61, 89, 148]. A yellow dye is obtained from the tuber[46, 61].

Cultivation details

Succeeds in ordinary garden soil, tolerating partial shade[200]. Requires a well-drained soil[1, 200]. Prefers a deep rich sandy loamy soil[1, 111]. Prefers a sunny position and a soil that is not too rich[200]. Grows well on hot dry banks[42]. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c[200]. Plants are evergreen in mild winters[200]. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[233]. This species is closely related to A. ramosus[187].

Propagation

Seed - sow March/April in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination usually takes place in 1 - 3 months at 15°c[134]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. When the plants are large enough to handle, plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. Division in early spring or autumn[111].

Links

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]).

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[42] Grey. C. H. Hardy Bulbs. Williams & Norgate. 1938
Rather dated now, but an immense work on bulbs for temperate zones and how to grow them. Three large volumes.

[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.

[89] Polunin. O. and Huxley. A. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press 1987 ISBN 0-7012-0784-1
A very readable pocket flora that is well illustrated. Gives some information on 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.

[111] Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge 1926
A fairly wide range of perennial plants that can be grown in Britain and how to grow them.

[134] Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan. 1988
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.

[148] Niebuhr. A. D. Herbs of Greece. Herb Society of America. 1970
A pleasant little book about Greek herbs.

[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.

[187] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991 ISBN 0-330-30936-9
Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.

[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.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

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.

Asphodelus aestivus

Tue Dec 28 01:18:42 2004

This plant is found in Malta/Mediterranean basin/Europe

More comprehensive details, medicinal properties, uses, botanical data, plant description and photogallery of high resolutions photos of this plant can be seen on an interesting website about the wild plants of Malta: www.maltawildplants.com

Link: Malta Wild Plants Website and photography by Stephen Mifsud, Malta

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