Practical
Plants

Megacarpaea megalocarpa

a perennial member of the Megacarpaea genus in the family Brassicaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.3 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

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

Root - cooked[3]. Starchy, thick and nutritious[3]. The root is up to 3cm thick[1].

Plant part
Root

Environment

Range
E. Europe to C. Asia.
Habitat
Saline semi-deserts[2]. Deserts, dry clayey and solonetzic steppes, occasionally on rocks and stony slopes[3].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant
Salinity
tolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - we have no information for this species but suggest sowing the seed as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame if this is possible. Otherwise sow it in early spring in a cold frame. Prick the seedlings out into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse or cold frame for at least their first winter. Plant out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. Root cuttings may succeed[1].

Cultivation

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

Requires a light well-drained soil in a sunny position[1]. The flowers are normally hermaphrodite but are sometimes monoecious or reduced[1].

References

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  2. ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964-00-00

    ↩

  3. Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

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