Bergenia stracheyi

(Hook.f. et Thoms.) Engler

SaxifragaceaeLeaves

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What to Eat

Edible parts: Leaves

The young leaves are eaten as a vegetable and can also be dried and used for making tea.

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant. It grows between 2500-4500 m altitude in Uttar Pradesh in India. In Tibet it grows between 3,900-4,500 m above sea level. It grows on higher colder areas on moist rocky slopes in the Himalayas. It is best in a well-composted well-drained soil. It needs a sunny position. It is damaged by drought and frost.

Afghanistan, Asia, Australia, Canada, Central Asia, China, Himalayas, India*, Nepal, North America, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Tibet,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Antigua & Barbuda, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Bahamas, Bhutan, Belize, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Georgia, Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jamaica, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, St Kitts & Nevis, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, St Lucia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Mexico, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Nepal, Oman, Panama, Philippines, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, El Salvador, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Trinidad & Tobago, Taiwan, United States, Uzbekistan, St Vincent, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

A herb. It grows 30 cm high and spreads 40-60 cm wide. It has thick rootstocks. The rootstock has old dark brown sheaths around it. The leaves are oval and in rings. They have teeth along the edge. The leaves can be 20 cm long. The flowers are white or lilac. They can be tinged with pink. They occur in heads and have a smell.

How to Grow

It can be grown by division of the rootstock.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Bergenia stracheyi is a plant species in the genus Bergenia found in the Western Himalayas, from 2700 to 4700 m, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Bergenin and norbergenin are chemical compounds that can be isolated from rhizomes of B. stracheyi.

Notes

There are 6-8 Bergenia species.

Names & Synonyms

Pukhenbheda, Silphari

Saxifraga stracheyi Hook.f. et Thoms

References (5)

Bodkin, F., 1991, Encyclopedia Botanica. Cornstalk publishing, p 143
Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 232
Negi, K.S., 1988, Some little known wild edible plants of U.P. Hills. J. Econ. Tax. Bot. Vol. 12 No. 2 pp 345-360
Sharma, L. et al, 2018, Diversity, distribution pattern, endemism and indigenous uses of wild edible plants in Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve of Indian Trans Himalaya. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge. Vol 17(1) January 2018 pp 122-131
www.efloras.org Flora of China Volume 8