Coleus edulis
Gala Dinich
a perennial member of the Coleus genus in the family Labiatae.
Taxonomy and growth
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Root - cooked[3][4][5][1]. We have no further details.
- Plant part
- Root
Environment
- Range
- N. Africa - Ethiopia.
- Habitat
- Mountainous regions, 1800 - 2100 metres.
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- light shade
- Water
- moderate
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - surface sow in a greenhouse in late winter and seal the pot in a plastic bag until germination takes place - this is usually within 2 weeks at 20°c[2]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow on the plants in a greenhouse for their first year. Store the tubers in a cool frost-free place and plant them out into their permanent positions in the spring, after the last expected frosts. Division. Harvest the tubers in the autumn after the top growth has been cut back by frost, store them in a cool but frost-free place over winter and plant them out in spring.
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
We have no information on this plant and do not know if it would be feasible to grow it outdoors in Britain, it is almost certainly not winter hardy. As an experiment it could be worthwhile growing it in much the same way as potatoes are grown, planting out the tubers in April and harvesting them in the autumn. Give the plants a warm very sunny position in a well-drained soil. This species is cultivated for its edible tuber in Ethiopia[5].
References
Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00
Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990-00-00
Sholto-Douglas. J. Alternative Foods.
Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00
Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202