Polygonatum verticillatum

(L.) All.

Whorled Solomon's seal

AsparagaceaeFruitLeavesRoots
Polygonatum verticillatum
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Zdeňka Nováková, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Zdeňka Nováková
Polygonatum verticillatum
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Yves Krippel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Yves Krippel
Polygonatum verticillatum
iNaturalist · cc-by
(c) Wolfgang Jauch, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Wolfgang Jauch

What to Eat

Edible parts: Leaves, Root, Rhizome, Fruit

Tender leaves and young shoots are cooked as a vegetable and can serve as an asparagus substitute. The root is also eaten cooked and is rich in starch.

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant. In Nepal they grow between 2000-4000 m altitude.

Afghanistan, Asia, Australia, Bhutan, Britain, China, Europe, Greece, Himalayas, India, Italy, Luxembourg, Mediterranean, Nepal, Northeastern India, Pakistan, Russia, Siberia, Sikkim, Slovenia, Tibet,

Countries: Andorra, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Austria, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, Belarus, Switzerland, China, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Algeria, Estonia, Egypt, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Georgia, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Iceland, Italy, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Libya, Morocco, Monaco, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Myanmar, Mongolia, Malta, Maldives, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Serbia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Singapore, Slovenia, Slovakia, San Marino, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Taiwan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

A herb. It grows to 1 m high. It has a rhizome or underground stem. This is 0.7-1.5 cm thick. The stem is angled and grooved. The leaves do not have stalks. They occur as 3-8 in rings. The leaf blade is 6-10 cm long by 0.5-3 cm wide. They are narrow and sword shaped. There are hairs along the edge. The edges are slightly rolled in. They taper to the tip. The flowers are white. They occur as two together on stalks in the axils of leaves. The flowers hang down. The fruit are berries. They are red and 6-9 mm across. There are 6-12 seeds.

How to Grow

Plants are grown from seed or by root tubers.

Propagation: Seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in early autumn in a shady part of a cold greenhouse. Stored seed should be sown as early in the year as possible. Germination can be slow, seedlings may not come true to type, and it takes several years to reach a good size. Prick seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle and grow on in a shady position in the greenhouse for at least their first winter, then plant out in late spring or early summer after the last expected frosts. Divide in March or October. Larger divisions can go directly into permanent positions, while smaller ones are better potted up and grown on in light shade in a cold frame until well established before planting out in late spring or early summer.

Medicinal Uses

None known

Other Uses

None known Special Uses

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Polygonatum verticillatum or whorled Solomon's-seal is a plant species of the genus Polygonatum. It is widespread in Europe and also in China and the Himalayas though not reported from large sections of western and Central Asia in between those two ranges.

Notes

There are about 50 Polygonatum species. Also put in the family Convallariaceae.

Names & Synonyms

Khakan, Khinraula, Khirangalo, Khol, Khulung, Lun ye huang jing, Mahameda, Mithadudia, Ra-mnye, Rang bu jiang jiang, Ranye, Ranye goepa, Rawa nyalu, Salam misari, Schiavone, Shakakul, Sparice calice, Tse-met-che, Vretenčasti salomonov pečat

Convallaria verticillata L.Polygonatum erythrocarpum HuaPolygonatum kansuense Maxim. ec BatalinPolygonatum minutiflorum H.LeveilleConvallaria leptophylla D.DonPolygonatum leptophyllum (D.Don)Royle
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