Damasonium alisma
Thrumwort
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Alismataceae
- Genus
- Damasonium
- Life cycle
- annual, perennial
- Height
- 0.3 m
- Fertility
- Insects
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
- Pollinators
- Insects
Uses
Edible uses
Root[2]. No further details are given.
- Plant part
- Root
Environment
- Range
- Central and southern Europe, from Britain and France to Italy and S. Russia, south to N. Africa.
- Habitat
- Gravelly ditches and ponds. Very local and apparently decreasing in Britain[1].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- light shade
- Water
- aquatic
- Hardiness
- Zone 7+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame in trays standing in shallow water[3]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in trays of shallow water, planting them out in the summer. Division in spring. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.
Cultivation
Succeeds in an open sunny position in boggy soils or in still water up to 25cm deep[3].
References
Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00
Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5