Herb latin name: Atraphaxis spinosa


Family: Polygonaceae (Buckwheat Family)



Edible parts of Atraphaxis spinosa:

The plant is a source of a yellowish-white manna-like substance that is eaten as a food or used in making sweetmeats.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
60 cm
(2 feet)

Flowering:
August to
September

Habitat of the herb:

Grassy plains in semi-desert or very dry soils. Slopes, deserts (including the Gobi), roadsides, margins of cultivated land at elevations of 400--1800 metres in northern China.

Propagation of Atraphaxis spinosa:

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Seedlings are prone to damp off so should be watered with care and kept well ventilated. Cuttings of soft wood in early summer in a frame. Layering in spring.

Cultivation of the herb:

Grassy plains in semi-desert or very dry soils. Slopes, deserts (including the Gobi), roadsides, margins of cultivated land at elevations of 400--1800 metres in northern China.

Medicinal use of Atraphaxis spinosa:

None known

Known hazards of Atraphaxis spinosa:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.