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Smilacena racemosa - (L.)Desf.

False Spikenard

Author	(L.)Desf.	Botanical references	43, 200, 270
Family	Convallariaceae	Genus	Smilacena
Synonyms	Convallaria racemosa - L. Maianthemum racemosum - (L.)Link. Vagnera racemosa - (L.)Morong.
Known Hazards	None known
Range	N. America - British Columbia to Nova Scotia, south to Georgia and Missouri.
Habitat	Moist coniferous and deciduous woods, clearings and bluffs[43, 60, 187], preferring shaded streamsides[159].
Edibility Rating	4 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	2 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 1m by 0.6m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid and neutral soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) or semi-shade (light woodland). It requires moist soil.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Deep Shade; Ground Cover;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit; Leaves; Root.

Fruit - raw, cooked or made into jellies and molasses[2, 46, 55, 85, 102, 183]. The fruit is smaller than a pea but is produced in quite large terminal clusters on the plant and so is easy to harvest. It has a delicious bitter-sweet flavour, suggesting bitter molasses[85, 183]. The fruit is said to store well[207], it certainly hangs well on the plants and we have picked very delicious fruits in late October[K]. Rich in vitamins[177], the fruit has been used to prevent scurvy[213]. Some caution is advised since the raw fruit is said to be laxative in large quantities, though this is only if you are not used to eating this fruit[85, 102, 159, 183]. Thorough cooking removes much of this laxative element[183]. Young leaves - raw or cooked[102]. The young shoots, as they emerge in spring, can be cooked and used as an asparagus substitute[55, 85, 102, 159, 183]. Root - cooked[85]. It should be soaked in alkaline water first to get rid of a disagreeable taste[85, 102, 159, 183]. It can be eaten like potatoes or pickled[183].

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.

Analgesic; Antirheumatic; Cathartic; Contraceptive; Emmenagogue; Haemostatic; Kidney; Poultice; Vulnerary.

False spikenard was widely employed by several native North American Indian tribes who used it to treat a variety of complaints[257]. It is little, if at all, used in modern herbalism. The plant is contraceptive and haemostatic[213, 257]. A decoction is used in the treatment of coughs and the spitting up of blood[257]. Half a cup of leaf tea drunk daily for a week by a woman is said to prevent conception[213, 257]. a poultice of the crushed fresh leaves is applied to bleeding cuts[257]. A tea made from the roots is drunk to regulate menstrual disorders[213]. The root is analgesic, antirheumatic, appetizer, blood purifier, cathartic and tonic[257]. A decoction is said to be a very strong medicine, it is used for treating rheumatism and kidney problems and, when taken several times a day it has been used successfully in treating cancer and heart complaints[257]. The fumes from a burning root have been inhaled to treat headaches and general body pain[257]. The fumes have also been used to restore an unconscious patient and to bring an insane person back to normal[257]. The dried powdered root has been used in treating wounds[213]. A poultice of the root has been applied to the severed umbilical cord of a child in order to speed the healing process and is also used to treat cuts, swellings etc[257]. A cold infusion of the root is used as a wash for sore eyes[257].

Other Uses

Ground cover.

Plants can be grown as a ground cover when planted about 45cm apart each way[208].

Scented Plants

Flowers: Fresh

The flowers have a gentle sweet perfume[245].

Cultivation details

An easy plant to grow[233], it requires a deep fertile humus rich moisture retentive soil, neutral to slightly acid, that does not dry out in the growing season, and a shady position[200]. Requires a lime-free soil[233]. It does well in a woodland garden[200]. Hardy to about -20°c[200]. Plants take a few years to become established[208]. This species can be separated into two sub-species, S. racemosa racemosa being found in the east of the range whilst S. racemosa amplexicaule is found in the west[270]. One report says that the plant is apomictic (producing seeds without sexual fusion), though this needs to be investigated further[270]. The flowers have a gentle sweet perfume[245].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. The seed can be very slow to germinate, often taking 18 months. Stored seed should be sown in a cold frame as soon as possible, it may take 2 years or longer to germinate. Grow the seedlings on in a shady part of a greenhouse for their first year without pricking them out, giving them liquid or foliar feeds as required to ensure that they do not become nutrient deficient. Divide the young plants up into individual pots in the autumn when they are dormant, and grow them on for at least another year in a shady part of the greenhouse. When the plants have reached a sufficient size, plant them out in the autumn whilst they are dormant. Division in spring or early autumn. Very easy, 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.

Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: Edible Ornamental Plants, Plants for Problem Places - North Facing Walls and Deep Shade.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[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.

[43] Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.

[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.

[55] Harris. B. C. Eat the Weeds. Pivot Health 1973
Interesting reading.

[60] Hitchcock. C. L. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press 1955
A standard flora for Western N. America with lots of information on habitat etc. Five large volumes, it is not for the casual reader.

[85] Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9
A superb book. Very readable, it gives the results of the authors experiments with native edible plants.

[102] Kavasch. B. Native Harvests. Vintage Books 1979 ISBN 0-394-72811-4
Another guide to the wild foods of America.

[159] McPherson. A. and S. Wild Food Plants of Indiana. Indiana University Press 1977 ISBN 0-253-28925-4
A nice pocket guide to this region of America.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[207] Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6
A nice read, lots of information on plant uses.

[208] Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990 ISBN 0-460-12609-1
An excellent detailled book on the subject, very comprehensive.

[213] Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980 ISBN 0-449-90589-6
A nice book to read though it is difficult to look up individual plants since the book is divided into separate sections dealing with the different medicinal uses plus a section on edible plants. Common names are used instead of botanical.

[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.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

[270] Flora of N. America 0
An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of 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.

Smilacena racemosa

Greg Nelson Tue Sep 12 2006

Is this what is known in the US as False Solomon's Seal? See site below.

Same botanical name, different common name

Smilacena racemosa

Sherrie Fri Jul 25 2008

Greg: yes, it is, but Smilacina stellata is occasionally called that as well. Treacleberry is another common name for S. racemosa. Maianthemum racemosum seems to be the more preferred Latin name now, for some reason.

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