Practical
Plants

Orontium aquaticum

Golden Club

a perennial member of the Orontium genus in the family Araceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Araceae
Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.5 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

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

The plant is rich in calcium oxylate, this is toxic and if consumed makes the mouth and digestive tract feel as though hundreds of needles are being stuck into it. However, calcium oxylate is easily destroyed by thoroughly cooking or drying the plant.

Edible uses

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

Root - cooked. It must be soaked in cold water for some hours in order to remove an acrid taste[11][3]. The fresh root contains calcium oxalate and, when eaten raw, will produce an effect on the mouth similar to being pricked with hundreds of small needles. As long as the root is well cooked the calcium oxalate is broken down and the root is perfectly safe to eat[6][12]. Drying the root also breaks down the calcium oxalate and makes the root safe to eat[2]. The dried roots can also be ground into a powder and used with flour in making bread, biscuits etc[8]. The root is deep seated in the mud and difficult to extract[14]. Seed - dried[1][14]. The seed must be soaked first in order to remove an acrid taste[11][12][3]. Repeated boiling in changes of water are necessary to render the seeds edible[6]. They have a taste like peas[8].

Plant part
Root
Plant part
Seed

Environment

Range
Eastern N. America - Massachusetts to Kentucky, south to Florida and Louisiana.
Habitat
Sandy, muddy or peaty shores and in shallow water[10].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
aquatic
Hardiness
Zone 7+
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 - best sown as soon as ripe in submerged containers in a cold frame[5]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in trays of water in the cold frame for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. The seed develops on the plant underwater in small green berries[7]. Division in spring[7]. Very easy, the divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions.

Cultivation

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

Succeeds in the bog garden or pond margins up to 45cm deep[13][7], but plants do less well if they are not grown in water[5]. Requires a fertile loamy soil in full sun[7]. Plant the rootstock in at least 30cm of soil[1]. Another report says that the plant should be under at least 15cm of water[9]. Plants are hardy to -15°c[7] in one report, to -20°c in another[4], though another says they they may require protection in harsh winters[13]. A most unpleasant animal smell is emitted from the flowers[9].

References

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

  4. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30936-9

    ↩

  5. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

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

    ↩1↩2

  9. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

    ↩1↩2

  10. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

  12. Harris. B. C. Eat the Weeds. Pivot Health 1973-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  13. Muhlberg. H. Complete Guide to Water Plants. E. P. Publishing Ltd. 1982-00-00 ISBN 0-7158-0789-7

    ↩1↩2

  14. Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-486-23310-3

    ↩1↩2

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