Practical
Plants

Desmanthus illinoensis

Prairie Mimosa

a perennial member of the Desmanthus genus in the family Leguminosae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
1.3 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

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

Seed - cooked. Rich in protein but without much flavour[1]. The seedpods are about 25mm long and contain 3 - 5 small seeds[4]. They are freely borne in the plants native environment, but will have to be very freely produced in this country if it is to be a worthwhile crop[K].

Plant part
Seed

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

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

A leaf tea has been used in the treatment of itchy skin[3][5]. Five seeds have been placed in the eye at night and washed out in the morning to treat trachoma[5].

Product or use
Antipruritic
Product or use
Ophthalmic

Environment

Range
N. America - Ohio to N. Dakota, New Mexico to Mississippi.
Habitat
Prairies, river banks and fields[3][4]. Ditches, stream bottoms, fields, roadsides and low areas, often on clay soils[6].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 4+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
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 - pre-soak for 12 hours in warm water and then sow in a cold frame in the spring. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer. If you have sufficient seed then it is probably worthwhile sowing some in situ in mid to late spring.

Cultivation

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

Requires a moist but well-drained soil in full sun[2]. Plants are often found growing in clay soils in the wild[6]. Suitable for the wild garden or other naturalistic plantings[2]. In favourable situations this plant can self-sow to the point of nuisance[2]. This plant is being evaluated by the Land Institute of Salina, Kansas, as an edible legume for growing with perennial grains in a non-tillage permaculture system[1]. It is certainly worthy of more attention in this country, though the small seed size mitigates against its use[K]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[2].

References

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

    ↩1↩2

  2. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  3. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2

  4. Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22642-5

    ↩1↩2

  5. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2

  6. Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas Botanical Research Institute, Texas. 1999-00-00 http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm

    ↩1↩2

Edit this page