Practical
Plants

Trapa incisa

an annual member of the Trapa genus in the family Trapaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Trapaceae
Genus
Trapa
Life cycle
annual
Flower type
hermaphrodite

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.

We have no specific information for this species, but the raw seed of several members of this genus contains toxins. However, these are destroyed in the cooking process[3][4].

Edible uses

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

Seed - cooked. Boiled[2][5][1]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Plant part
Seed

Environment

Range
E. Asia - Japan.
Habitat
Lakes and ponds in central and southern Japan[6].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
aquatic
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - harvest in late summer and store overwinter in a jar of water in a cold but frost-free place. The seed quickly loses its vitality if it is allowed to become dry. Sow in spring, placing one seed in each pot and submerging them under a few centimetres of water.

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 outdoors in Britain. However, judging by the plants native range, it is likely to succeed outdoors at least in the warmer areas of the country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. An aquatic plant, floating by means of inflated petioles, it succeeds in still or slowly-flowing water requiring a position in full sun and a slightly acidic water with a rich planting medium[3]. Plants require a high summer temperature in order to perform well, they are not frost hardy[4].

References

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

    ↩

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

  4. Larkcom J. Oriental Vegetables John Murray 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-7195-4781-4

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩

  6. Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965-00-00

    ↩

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