Herb latin name: Moraea fugax


Synonyms: Moraea edulis


Family: Iridaceae (Iris Family)



Edible parts of Moraea fugax:

Bulb - cooked. Palatable and nourishing, with a flavour that is like sweet chestnuts or potatoes.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Corm


Height:
50 cm
(1 foot)

Flowering:
August to
September

Habitat of the herb:

Flat land and mountain slopes, usually on sandy soils.

Propagation of Moraea fugax:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a warm greenhouse. A spring sowing in the greenhouse has proved very successful with us. Sow the seed thinly so that the young plants can be grown on in the pot without disturbance for their first year. Give an occasional liquid feed to ensure that the plants do not become nutrient deficient. Pot up the small bulbs at the end of their first growing season, placing 2 - 3 bulbs in each pot. Grow them on in the greenhouse for another 2 years before planting them out into their permanent positions when they are dormant in the autumn. Division of offsets whilst the plants are dormant from September to January. The larger bulbs can be replanted immediately into their permanent positions, but it is best to pot up the smaller bulbs and grow them on for a year before planting them out in the autumn.

Cultivation of the herb:

Flat land and mountain slopes, usually on sandy soils.

Medicinal use of Moraea fugax:

None known

Known hazards of Moraea fugax:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.