Practical
Plants

Arracacia xanthorrhiza

Arracacha

a perennial member of the Arracacia genus in the family Umbelliferae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
1 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Tuber - cooked[7][8][9][10][2]. Very palatable and easily digested[1][5], it is used as a staple food in some parts of S. America[6]. The root contains 10 - 25% starch, it is high in calcium and vitamin A[5]. It is used as a potato substitute, its flavour is between that of parsnips and sweet chestnuts with a hint of sweetness[6][4]. The sweetness increases in storage[5]. The root is also used as the source of starch used in other foods[4]. The roots are harvested in the autumn and have a relatively short storage life[5]. Leaves. Used as a flavouring[3]. Young stems - raw or cooked as a vegetable[4][5]. The stems are sometimes blanched and used like celery in salads[5].

Product or use
Condiment
Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Root
Plant part
Stem

Environment

Range
Northern S. America
Habitat
Cool mountainous districts[6].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 9+
Soil textures
loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Do not allow the compost to dry out. Germination is often poor, less than 50%[5]. Since this species is believed to be a hybrid it will probably not breed true from seed. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on for the first year in a greenhouse and plant out in late spring after the last expected frosts. Division. Harvest the roots in the autumn, store overwinter and plant out in the spring. The plant forms a clump of tubers around a central root, each tuber can be used to grow a new plant. Traditionally the base of the tuber is repeatedly slashed to stimulate shoots to form and encourage a uniform arrangement of lateral roots. They are then left for a few days to heal before planting them out[5].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a good loam. Grows best in a sandy loam with a pH in the range of 5 to 6, in areas with about 1000mm of rain a year, requiring a minimum rainfall of about 600mm[5]. Tolerates a pH in the range 6.3 to 6.8. This species is not very hardy in Britain but it can be grown here as a half-hardy perennial, the roots being harvested in the autumn, stored overwinter in a cool frost-free place and planted out in the spring[1]. This species is often cultivated for its edible root in S. America, where there are many named varieties[6][8][9][3]. Attempts in the 19th century to cultivate it as a commercial crop in Europe, however, were unsuccessful[6]. Plants take about 120 - 240 days from planting to produce a crop and 300 - 400 days to produce a crop of mature tubers[5]. At harvest time there can be as many as 10 tubers each the size of a carrot formed around the central root196]. One plant can yield 2 - 3 kg of edible roots, total yields of 40 tonnes per hectare are possible[5]. Preventing the plant from flowering can increase yields[5]. Plants might be sensitive to daylength, possibly requiring short days to initiate tuber production, and so may not be suitable for temperate climates. They also have a longer growing season than potatoes and are frost-tender so need a relatively long growing season[5]. Plants do not always produce viable seed in S. America[5].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952-00-00

    ↩

  3. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩1↩2

  4. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  5. Popenoe. H. et al Lost Crops of the Incas National Academy Press 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-309-04264-X

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9↩10↩11↩12↩13↩14

  6. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  7. Sholto-Douglas. J. Alternative Foods.

    ↩

  8. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  9. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩1↩2

  10. Towle. M. A. The Ethno-Botany of Pre-Columbian Peru.

    ↩

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