Practical
Plants

Microseris scapigera

Yam Daisy

a perennial member of the Microseris genus in the family Compositae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

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

Uses

Edible uses

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

Root - raw or cooked[6][8][9]. Sweetish and moist[1] with a coconut flavour[2]. The root tastes like a sweet potato with an occasional hot taste[4]. It is said to be delicious[5]. The root is between 2 and 8cm long[5]. A favourite food of the Australian Aborigines, who ate the roots in quantity[5]. The root can be harvested all year round but it tastes bitter at certain times of the year, especially in early winter[5].

Plant part
Root

Environment

Range
Australia - New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. New Zealand.
Habitat
Grassland and open places on North, South and Stewart Islands in New Zealand[7]. Loamy soils or moist clay up to the montane and sub-alpine zones in Australia[2]. Also found on salt pans[5].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant
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 in early spring in a greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter, planting them out in late spring or early summer. Division in spring might be possible.

Cultivation

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

We do not have much information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors at least in the milder areas of the country. The Australian form is said to be hardy to at least -7°c in Australian gardens[3], though this cannot be translated directly to British gardens due to our cooler summers and longer colder and wetter winters. Plants are likely to require a well-drained soil in a sunny position. This is a polymorphic species that is found in both New Zealand and in Australia. Some botanists have separated off the Australian form as a distinct species, M. lanceolata[7][3], which is here used as a synonym. An alpine form in the Snowy mountains of Australia has fibrous roots too thin to be worth eating[5]. The plant has been suggested for commercial cultivation in temperate zones for its edible root[5].

References

  1. Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-00-634436-4

    ↩

  2. Ewart. A. J. Flora of Victoria.

    ↩1↩2

  3. Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M. Australian Native Plants. Collins. (Australia) 1988-00-00 ISBN 0-7322-0021-0

    ↩1↩2

  4. Crowe. A. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Hodder and Stoughton 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-340-508302

    ↩

  5. Low. T. Wild Food Plants of Australia. Angus and Robertson. 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-207-14383-8

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  6. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

  7. Allan. H. H. Flora of New Zealand. Government Printer, Wellington. 1961-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  8. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

  9. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩

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