Practical
Plants

Mentzelia pumila

Dwarf Mentzelia

a perennial member of the Mentzelia genus in the family Loasaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Loasaceae
Life cycle
perennial
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

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

Seed - raw or cooked. They are parched and ground into a meal[3]. This use has not been verified[4].

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.

The plant is used as a toothache medicine[4]. The root is laxative[5]. It is dried, ground into a powder and inserted as a suppository in the rectum to treat constipation[5].

Product or use
Odontalgic

Environment

Range
Western N. America.
Habitat
Not known
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, 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 - sow spring in situ[2]. Germination should take place within a couple of weeks.

Cultivation

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

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, nor are we sure if it is an annual or a perennial. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Succeeds in ordinary garden soil[1]. Prefers a moderately fertile well-drained soil in a warm sunny sheltered position[2].

References

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

  3. Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6

    ↩

  4. Whiting. A. F. Ethnobotany of the Hopi North Arizona Society of Science and Art 1939-00-00

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2

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