Practical
Plants

Myosoton aquaticum

Water Chickweed

an annual or perennial member of the Myosoton genus in the family Caryophyllaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
annual, perennial
Height
0.6 m
Fertility
Flies, Bees
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Flies, Bees

Uses

Edible uses

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

Young leaves and stems - cooked[1][4]. Sweet and tender[4][5], they are very rich in minerals[5]. A famine food that is only used in times of scarcity[1][3].

Plant part
Leaves

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 decoction of the leaves is used as a galactogogue[6]. The plant is used in the treatment of fistula[6].

Product or use
Galactogogue

Environment

Range
Europe, including Britain but excluding the Arctic, east through temperate Asia.
Habitat
Marshes, fens, streamsides, ditches and damp woods at low altitudes[2].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
aquatic
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - probably best sown in situ as soon as it is ripe.

Cultivation

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

See details above on native habitat for ideas on the plants cultivation needs.

References

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩

  3. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

  4. Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre

    ↩1↩2

  5. Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  6. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

    ↩1↩2

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