Practical
Plants

Orogenia linearifolia

Indian Potato

a perennial member of the Orogenia genus in the family Umbelliferae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.15 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

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

Root - raw or cooked[1]. The raw root tastes like potatoes[1]. A pleasant crisp taste, though the outer skin has a slightly bitter taste[3]. The root is available at almost any time of the year, its only drawback is that it is a bit small and fiddly to harvest in quantity[3]. It may respond to cultivation.

Plant part
Root

Environment

Range
Western N. America - Montana to W. Colorado and west to Utah and Washington.
Habitat
Open mountain sides and ridges, often in sandy or gravelly soils[3], and often near vernal snow banks where it blooms as soon as the snow melts[2].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
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 - no information has been found. It is probably best to sow the seed as soon as it is ripe in late spring or early summer. Sow in pots in a cold frame and when they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots. Grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter and plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division should be possible at any time the plant is dormant, probably from mid summer to late winter.

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, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in most parts of the country. From its native habitat it can be assumed that the plant requires a sunny position in a moist but well drained light to medium soil[K].

References

  1. Craighead. J., Craighead. F. and Davis. R. A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers The Riverside Press 1963-00-00 ISBN 63-7093

    ↩1↩2

  2. Hitchcock. C. L. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press 1955-00-00

    ↩

  3. Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967-00-00 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

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