Centranthus macrosiphon
Boiss.
Pretty Betsy, Long-spurred valerian
(c) Dean Beaver, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Dean Beaver
(c) Valentino Traversa, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) Valentino Traversa, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Flowers, Leaves
The leaves are eaten raw and added to salads, where they have a similar taste to corn salad (Valerianella locusta) but with a slight bitterness that gives them a more distinct and agreeable flavour. The flowers are also eaten raw.
Where to Find It
It grows in rocky and waste places. It is a temperate plant.
Australia, Europe, France, Mediterranean, Spain,
How to Identify
An annual plant. It is a short herb. It grows 10-40 cm high. The stems can be simple or branched. The leaves are pale green and oval. The upper leaves are small, do not have stalks and often have lobes. The flowers are rose coloured. They are 7-9 mm long and have spurs. They are pink with a red mouth.
How to Grow
Grows well in ordinary garden soil and on dry walls. A very ornamental plant, it attracts moths and butterflies.
Propagation: Sow seed in March in situ. An autumn sowing in situ may also be successful.
Medicinal Uses
No medicinal uses are known for this plant.
Other Uses
No other uses are known for this plant.
Wikipedia
Source ↗An annual growing to 0.6 m tall. Flowers in July with seeds ripening in August. Hermaphroditic, pollinated by bees and lepidopterans (moths and butterflies). Notable for attracting wildlife. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with good drainage, growing in mildly acid to basic pH. Requires full sun, adapting to dry or moist soil and tolerating drought.
Notes
There are about 10-12 Centranthus species. Also put in the family family Valerianaceae.
References (8)
- Blamey, M and Grey-Wilson, C., 2005, Wild flowers of the Mediterranean. A & C Black London. p 425
- Dashorst, G.R.M., and Jessop, J.P., 1998, Plants of the Adelaide Plains & Hills. Botanic Gardens of Adelaide and State Herbarium. p 132
- Diagn. pl. orient. ser. 1, 3:57. 1843
- Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 243
- Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 179
- Hussey, B.M.J., Keighery, G.J., Cousens, R.D., Dodd, J., Lloyd, S.G., 1997, Western Weeds. A guide to the weeds of Western Australia. Plant Protection Society of Western Australia. p 228
- Paczkowska, G . & Chapman, A.R., 2000, The Western Australian Flora. A Descriptive Catalogue. Western Australian Herbarium. p 566
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.pfaf.org
