Herb: Unicorn Plant


Latin name: Proboscidea louisianica


Synonyms: Martynia louisiana, Proboscidea louisiana


Family: Martyniaceae (Unicorn Plant Family)



Edible parts of Unicorn Plant:

Young fruits, harvested whilst still tender enough to be pierced with a fork, can be sliced and added to soups as a thickening agent. They can also be parboiled and eaten as a vegetable or pickled in vinegar. They are sometimes pickled when immature. The fruit is about 4 - 6mm long. Seed - raw or cooked. High in protein and in oil. An edible oil is obtained from the seed. Root. No more details are given.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Annual


Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
July to
September

Scent:
Scented
Annual

Habitat of the herb:

River banks and waste places. Naturalized as a weed in Portugal and S.E. Russia.

Other uses of Unicorn Plant:

A black dye can be obtained from the seedpods. The long pointed seed capsule horns can be used as the black pattern material in coiled basketry.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - sow spring in a warm greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out after the last expected frosts.

Cultivation of Unicorn Plant:

River banks and waste places. Naturalized as a weed in Portugal and S.E. Russia.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Proboscidea louisianica:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.