Practical
Plants

Moneses uniflora

Single Delight

a perennial evergreen member of the Moneses genus in the family Pyrolaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Moneses
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Height
0.1 m
Spread
0.3 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Bees, Flies, Beetles, Self
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Flies, Beetles, Self

Uses

Edible uses

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

Fruit[9][2][5][6][11]. No more details are given. The fruit is a capsule about 8cm wide[10]. Seed - raw or cooked[8].

Plant part
Fruit
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.

An infusion of the dried plant has been used in the treatment of coughs and colds[11]. The plant has been chewed, and the juice swallowed, as a treatment for sore throat[11]. A poultice of the leaves has been used to draw out the pus from boils and abscesses, to draw blisters, to help reduce swellings and also to relieve pain[11].

Product or use
Anodyne
Product or use
Miscellany
Product or use
Poultice

Environment

Range
Europe, including Britain, from Iceland south and east to Spain, N. Asia to Japan, N. America.
Habitat
Pine woods, the margins of moist woods in shady mossy places often in a bed of pine needles, avoiding calcareous soils[7].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
permanent shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 2+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
very acid, acid, neutral
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - the only information we have on this species is that it is difficult from seed and germinates infrequently[10]. We would suggest sowing the seed as soon as it is ripe if this is possible. Sow it into soil collected from around an established plant, only just covering the seed, and put the pot in a shady part of a cold frame. Pot up any young seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle, once again using soil from around an established plant. Plant out into their permanent positions when the plants are large enough. You should not need to use soil from around an established plant to do this since the soil in the pot will contain the necessary micorrhiza. Division with great care in the spring[1][4]. Pot up the divisions using some soil from around an established plant, grow on in a lightly shaded part of a greenhouse or frame and do not plant out until the plants are growing away vigorously[10].

Cultivation

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

Prefers a moist sandy woodland soil[4][10] in a cool position with partial shade[1][3][10]. Requires a peaty or leafy acid soil that remains moist in the summer[10]. This is a very difficult plant to grow. It requires a mycorrhizal relationship in the soil and therefore needs to be grown initially in soil collected from around an established plant[10]. It is also very difficult from seed as well as being intolerant of root disturbance which makes division difficult[1]. This species is rare decreasing in the wild in Britain. Surviving populations are threatened, usually by commercial forestry[10].

References

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

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  3. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

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  4. Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge 1926-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  5. Arnberger. L. P. Flowers of the Southwest Mountains. Southwestern Monuments Ass. 1968-00-00

    ↩

  6. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

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  7. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

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  8. Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.

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

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

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