Chasmanthium latifolium
(Michx.) H. O. Yates
North American wild oats
(c) Susan Elliott, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Susan Elliott
(c) Samantha Eff, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Seeds, Cereal
The seed is edible once cooked and can be used as a cereal for making bread and biscuits, or ground into flour and prepared as a mush. It was used as a food crop by the Cocopa Indians of Mexico.
Where to Find It
It needs to be in moist soil. It can grow in full or part sun. It grows along streams. It suits hardiness zones 4-11.
Australia, Canada, Central America, Mexico, North America, Tasmania, USA,
How to Identify
A grass. It grows 90-100 cm high and spreads 30-40 cm wide. The leaves are broad and bright green. The flowers are in drooping heads like oats.
How to Grow
Plants can be grown from seed or by division.
Propagation: Sow seed in early spring directly in situ, barely covering it. Plants can also be propagated by division in spring.
Medicinal Uses
None known.
Other Uses
The dried flower heads are sometimes used in flower arranging and are suitable for use as cut or dried flowers.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Chasmanthium latifolium, known as fish-on-a-fishing-pole, northern wood-oats, inland sea oats, northern sea oats, and river oats is a species of grass native to the central and eastern United States, Manitoba, and northeastern Mexico; it grows as far north as Pennsylvania and Michigan, where it is a threatened species. The species was previously classified as Uniola latifolia (André Michaux).
Notes
There are 6 Chasmanthium species.
Names & Synonyms
Indian woodoats, Sea oats, Spangle grass
References (6)
- Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 368
- Hibbert, M., 2002, The Aussie Plant Finder 2002, Florilegium. p 66
- Jackes, D. A., Edible Forest Gardens
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
- Ryan, S., 2008, Dicksonia. Rare Plants Manual. Hyland House. p 89
- Southw. Naturalist 11:416. 1966
