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Meum athamanticum - Jacq.

Common Name

Spignel

Family

Umbelliferae

Synonyms

Known Hazards

None known

Habitats

Grassy places in mountainous districts[17], usually on limestone soils[200].

Range

Europe, including Britain, from Norway south and east to Spain, Germany and the Balkans.

Edibility Rating

Medicinal Rating

Care

Summary

Physical Characteristics

PERENNIAL growing to 0.4 m (1ft 6in) by 0.2 m (0ft 6in).
It is hardy to zone 7 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Jun to July, and the seeds ripen from Aug to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.The plant is self-fertile.

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 cannot grow in the shade.It requires moist soil.

Habitats
Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Root. Root - cooked[1, 5, 61, 177]. Used like parsnips[183]. Leaves - used as a condiment in soups, stews and vegetable dishes[9]. They add a subtle sweetish flavour[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. Diuretic; Emmenagogue; Stomachic. The herb is diuretic, emmenagogue and stomachic[61].

Other Uses
None known

Cultivation details
Grows well in almost any fertile well-drained moderately retentive soil in a sunny position[200]. This species was formerly cultivated for its edible root[61]. All parts of the plant, especially the roots, are aromatic with a scent like melilot (Melilotus officinalis)[245].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[200]. Stored seed should be sown as early in the year as possible in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer or the following spring[K]. Division in autumn[111]. Large divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.

Expert comment

Author
Jacq.

Botanical References
17200

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

Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[5]Mabey. R. Food for Free.

Edible wild plants found in Britain. Fairly comprehensive, very few pictures and rather optimistic on the desirability of some of the plants.

[9]Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants.

Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.

[17]Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles.

A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[61]Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.

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.

[111]Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials.

A fairly wide range of perennial plants that can be grown in Britain and how to grow them.

[177]Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption.

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.

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.

Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[245]Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World.

An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

Readers comment

Elizabeth H.
Klaus	Sun Nov 18 2007

The root of the plants we have in our garden is rather to be used as a spice: the taste is too intense to eat bigger amounts. At the moment I´m working on davyd.de/allmende

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Subject : Meum athamanticum

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