Practical
Plants

Sporobolus asperifolius

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Gramineae
Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.3 m
Fertility
Wind
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Edible uses

Seed - raw or cooked. It can be parched, ground into a flour and eaten dry or made into a mush[1][2].

Plant part
Seed

Environment

Range
Western and central N. America - Saskatchewan to British Columbia, south to Missouri and Mexico.
Habitat
Sandy bottoms, damp sands etc[6]. Dry soils[4]. Damp or marshy often alkaline soils, along irrigation ditches and along the banks of streams[5].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
low
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer if they have grown sufficiently. Otherwise, grow them on in a greenhouse for their first winter and plant them out in late spring of the following year. Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.

Cultivation

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Succeeds in any well drained soil in a sunny position[3].

References

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

    ↩

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

    ↩

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

    ↩

  4. Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22642-5

    ↩

  5. Hitchcock. A. S. Manual of the Grasses of the United States Dover Publications. New York. 1971-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22717-0

    ↩

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

    ↩

Edit this page