Practical
Plants

Stanleya pinnata

Prince's Plume

a perennial member of the Stanleya genus in the family Brassicaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
1 m
Spread
0.45 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

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

Seed - cooked. It is used as a piñole[2][3]. The seed can be parched, ground into a powder and used as a mush[4]. Young leaves and stems - cooked[10][11][13][3]. A cabbage-like flavour, they can be quite bitter at first but changing the water once or more whilst cooking removes the bitterness[4][9]. Used in the spring[8]. Changing the water also removes many of the vitamins and minerals[K].

Plant part
Leaves
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.

A decoction of the root has been used as a tonic to treat general debility after an illness[9]. The pulped root can be placed on the gum or in a tooth cavity in order to relieve toothache[7][9]. It can also be applied externally as a poultice to relieve earache and rheumatic pain[7][9]. A poultice of the mashed root has been applied to the throat to treat throat pain and is also used to treat the congestion of diphtheria[9]. A poultice of the plant has been applied to glandular swellings[9]. The powdered plant has been applied as a specific to scraped syphilitic sores[9]. A poultice of the freshly chewed seedpods has been used to treat itches[9].

Product or use
Antipruritic
Product or use
Odontalgic
Product or use
Poultice
Product or use
Tonic
Product or use
VD

Environment

Range
South-western N. America - California.
Habitat
Seleniferous soils, desert slopes and washes to 1500 metres[12].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
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 - sow spring in a greenhouse. Germination should take place within 3 weeks. Pot up into individual pots as soon as the plants are big enough to handle in order to preserve the root system. Plant out in summer. Division in spring?

Cultivation

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

Requires a perfectly drained soil in full sun[6]. Grows well in an ordinary garden soil[1]. Prefers a poor dry soil[5]. Hardy to about -20°c[5]. Grows well at Kew in a warm sunny well-drained border[K]. There is some confusion over the correct name of this plant, 2 different spellings having been used. Whilst it is possible that these are 2 different plants, it is more likely that the name used at the top of this form is the correct one, whilst the name in the synonyms list is a mis-spelling[161, K]. The plant is often found growing in soils rich in selenium and is a fairly good indicator that selenium is present[6].

References

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

    ↩

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

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

    ↩1↩2

  4. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2

  8. Whiting. A. F. Ethnobotany of the Hopi North Arizona Society of Science and Art 1939-00-00

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8

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

    ↩

  11. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

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  12. Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959-00-00

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

    ↩

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