Scorzonera parviflora

Jacq.

Viper's grass, Idschelik

AsteraceaeLeavesScore: 32/100

iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Sergey Mayorov, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Sergey Mayorov

iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Sebastian J. Dunkl, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Sebastian J. Dunkl

What to Eat

Edible parts: Leaves

The leaves are cooked and used as a spinach.

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant. It grows in wet, slightly salty meadows and riverbanks between 900-1,700 m above sea level in western China.

Afghanistan, Asia, Central Asia, China, Czech, Europe, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan,

Countries: Andorra, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, Belarus, Switzerland, China, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, 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, 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, Turkey, Taiwan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

A herb. It grows 10-60 cm tall. It keeps growing from year to year. The leaves are in a ring. The rootstock is 1.5 cm across and creeping. There is one or a few stems that are only occasionally branched. The leaves at the base are narrowly oval and 7-20 cm long by 1-2 cm wide. There are only a few leaves on the stem and they are small. The flowers are yellow.

Nutrition Score: 32/100

Part	Moisture	kJ	kcal	Protein	Vit A	Vit C	Iron	Zinc
Leaves	81.4	234	56	4.9	—	—	—	—

How to Grow

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in many parts of the country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Succeeds in any soil in sun or light shade.

Propagation: Sow seed in spring or late summer directly in situ. In dry conditions it is worth watering the seed in, as germination may otherwise be delayed.

Medicinal Uses

None known.

Other Uses

None known.

Wikipedia

A biennial or perennial reaching 0.6 m (2 ft) tall. Hermaphroditic flowers are pollinated by insects. Grows in light sandy, medium loamy, or heavy clay soils with good drainage. Tolerates mildly acidic, neutral, mildly alkaline, and saline soils. Requires full sun and adapts to both dry and moist conditions.

References (5)

Ertug, F, Yenen Bitkiler. Resimli Türkiye Florası -I- Flora of Turkey - Ethnobotany supplement
Food Composition Tables for the Near East. http://www/fao.org/docrep No. 438
Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 601
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
Urgamal, M., Oyuntsetseg, B., Nyambayar, D. & Dulamsuren, Ch. 2014. Conspectus of the vascular plants of Mongolia. (Editors: Sanchir, Ch. & Jamsran, Ts.). Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. “Admon“ Press. 334pp. (p. 199-230).