Maianthemum dilatatum
Maianthemum dilatatum
Maianthemum dilatatum
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Practical ecological knowledge for the temperate reader. |
Family: Asparagaceae - Asparagus
Maianthemum dilatatum |
Maianthemum dilatatum |
Maianthemum dilatatum |
Rhizome creeping. Stem: erect, simple [0]. Leaf: alternate, generally ± clasping, lower reduced to sheathing scales. Inflorescence: terminal, raceme to panicle. Flower: perianth parts 4 or 6 in 2 petal-like whorls, white; stamens 4 or 6; ovary superior, chambers 2–3, style 1, stigmas 2–3. Fruit: berry. Seed: 1–3.
3 species: northern temperate. (Greek: May flower, from flowering season) [LaFrankie 2002 FNANM 26:206–210] Historically divided into 2 genera, Maianthemum, Smilacina (1. vs 1' in key); otherwise ± equal morphologically, unique chromosomally.
Unabridged references: [LaFrankie, J. V. 1986. Transfer of the species of Smilacina Desf. to Maianthemum Wiggers (Liliaceae). Taxon 35:584–589; Rudall P. J. et al. 2000. Systematics of the Ruscaceae/Convallariaceae: A combined morphological and molecular investigation. Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 134:73–92] [Jepson]
Notes: Check Turner & Kuhnlein for sp. mentioned - berries & leaf edibility. Also mention above, the proper given names of m. racemosum and M. stellatum
"Smilacina spp. (Vagnera spp.); Smilacina racemosa and S. stellato are used in similar fashion. The species of False Solomon's Seal are all reasonably edible, but we do not rate them high on our desirable, edible plant list." [Harrington]
"Maianthemum Sp.; "edible but unpalatable. The bitterness of false Solomon's seal berries protects us from eating enough to cause severe diarrhea - a possible reaction."" [Berries]
Maianthemum bifolium (L.) F.W. Schmidt (syn. Majanthemum bifolium (L.) DC.) Fruits "collected by children for making wine, until the 20th century, Mz [53]."[Luczaj&Szymanski] Fruits eaten "raw, as children's snack".[Luczaj]
Maianthemum canadense - Canada mayflower - Eastern B.C. [E-flora]; Berries consumed by the Forest Potawatomi. "...the root of this plant [is used] to make a medicine in curing sore throat. Among the whites the root has been used for its stimulant properties for diseases of the head, to produce sneezing, as an expectorant and for its mucilaginous properties."[HuronSmith Zuni] A smoke was inhaled for unspecified purposes (Smith 1932).[UAPDS] Compound decoction of roots taken for the kidneys, Infusion of plant for headache, the plant for sore throat.[Moerman NAEth]
Other Names; Two-leaved false Solomon's-seal [E-flora]
Synonyms
General "....growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in)." [PFAF]
Lifecycle Perennial.[IFBC][E-flora][PFAF][WildPNW]
Flowers "Inflorescence a loose, cylindrical, terminal cluster of several to many spreading flowers". [IFBC] [E-flora] "Small. white, with flower parts in 4s (unlike usual 3s [PCBC2004][PSW][WildPNW] or 6's [PSW][WildPNW] of most species in the lily family)." [PCBC2004] "The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects." [PFAF]
Fruits "Berries, globe-shaped, spotted..."[IFBC] [E-flora] Red, 6mm in diameter.[HNW] "...light green and mottled brown at first..." [PCBC2004]
Leaves "Alternate, 1-3 (usually 2)..." [PCBC2004] "basal leaf long-petioled, broadly heart-shaped, short pointed." [HNW] "...to about 8 in. long by 4 in. wide. shiny..." [WildPNW]
Stem "...10-35 cm tall, smooth."[IFBC] [E-flora] "...bending at a slight angle at each
node..." [HNW]
Root a slender rhizome. [IFBC][E-flora] "creeping rhizomes".[PCBC2004]
Properties Flowers fragrant.[WildPNW]
Habitat "Mesic to wet forests and streambanks..."[IFBC] [E-flora] "shady moist woods, often along streams." [HNW] "Sometimes forms the dominant groundcover in Sitka-spruce forests near the sea." [PCBC2004]
Range common in coastal BC [IFBC] [E-flora] Calif. North Coast north to B.C. [PSW]
Status Native. [E-flora]
Ecological Indicator Shade-tolerant and ocean spray-tolerant. "Occurs...on very moist to wet, nitrogen-rich soils (Moder or Mull humus forms)". "Scattered to plentiful in coniferous and broad-leaved forests on water-receiving and water-collecting sites, commonly found on stream-edge sites, floodplains, and sites affected by ocean spray. Grows with Blechnum spicant, Polystichum munitum, Tiarella trifoliata, Trautvetteria caroliniensis, and Lysichitum americanum."[IPBC][E-flora]
Further Ethnobotanical Information
"the leaves The berries were scalded a few minutes and eaten with grease, or grease and sugar. Berries were picked and stored in grease with other berries for use during the winter months. In spring the new "folded" leaves were boiled and eaten as a vegetable. This plant is common and profuse in the Archipelago, forming thick, ground covers along the beach edge, in the forest, the muskeg and the ecotone between it and the forest. Large colonies can be found at beach edge, matting the area between spruce roots, in the muskeg on stumps and moss, and in the forest in semishaded areas." [Norton Kaighaida]
"The berries were eaten raw, both by the Kwakiutl to the north and the Lummi Salish to the south, but in neither case were they highly regarded (Boas, 1921; Gunther, 1945). They may have been eaten on occasion by the Vancouver Island Salish. Smilacina racemosa Desf. (False Solomon's Seal) According to Anderson (1925), the berries were eaten by the Northwest Coast Indians. They were quite sweet, but had a sickly flavour which rendered them disagreeble. Anderson also stated that the fleshy root, grated and soaked in water, was used for a poultice. There are no specific references to these uses in the Island Salish literature." [Turner&Bell]
"In the old days, the Kwakiutl did not bury their dead. Instead they put them in boxes and tied them in trees (Boas, 1966). It was an "aerial" graveyard such as this to which Mrs. Cranmer referred. The berries of this plant were sometimes picked and eaten raw, but they were apparently not highly regarded. They were never cooked (Boas, 1921). It was thought that frogs ate them (Cranmer, 1969)." [Turner&Bell2]
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"Requires a cool shady moist but not wet position[1, 187]. Plants tolerate warm summers only if the soil remains moist[200]. A mat forming plant, it can be invasive in good conditions[200]." [PFAF]
"Seed - best sown quite thinly it as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame, it should germinate in the spring. Stored seed should be sown in late winter in a cold frame, it might take 18 months to germinate. Allow the seedlings to grow on in the pot for their first year, giving liquid feeds as necessary to ensure that they do not go hungry. Divide the plants into individual pots once they have died down in late summer. Grow them on in pots for another year or more until large enough to plant out[K]. Division as new growth commences in the spring. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring." [PFAF]
"Smilacina racemosa is a PERENNIAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 0.6 m (2ft).
It is hardy to zone 4. It is in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen from Aug to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.The plant is self-fertile." [PFAF]
"Moist to mesic forests, streambanks, meadows and clearings in the lowland and steppe to subalpine zones; common throughout BC south of 56degreeN, rare northward; N to AK, E to SK and S to SD, TX, NM, AZ and CA." [IFBC-E-flora]
The False Solomon Seal is found from Nova Scotia to British Columbia, south to Georgia, Missouri, and Arizona. [EWP]
"False spikenard was widely employed by several native North American Indian tribes who used it to treat a variety of complaints[257]. It is little, if at all, used in modern herbalism." [PFAF]
"American people used these herbs as medicines, but not like Solomon’s seal had been
used in Europe. Records have been found of many indigenous eastern tribes using
American spikenard, but none for the Muskogean tribes. Their allies the Cherokee treated
sore eyes with a cold infusion of roots (Hamel and Chiltoskey 1975).
Moerman (1998) recorded uses by other eastern tribes. The Abenaki used a decoction
to stop bleeding in the lungs. The Algonquin used an infusion to wash back sores. The
Delaware considered the herbs tonic. The Iroquois drank infusions with or without
whiskey after miscarriages, to expel tapeworms, counteract poison, and relieve
rheumatism. They also used it externally to soak sore feet, on swollen areas, and on
snakebite. The Malecite and Micmac used an infusion to heal rashes and itching. The
Menomini inhaled steam from it to relieve catarrh. The Meskwaki used it as a calmative
and to loosen bowels. They also included it in several preparations to aid or divert magic.
The Mohegan used it in cough medicine, for stomach problems, and as a spring tonic.
The Ojibwa applied a root decoction or poultice to cuts, to relieve back pain, headache,
and sore throat. They also considered it diuretic. The Potawatomi helped revive comatose
patients with it (Smith 1933).
The Ojibwa also considered the roots edible, soaking them in lye to remove the bitter
taste, parboiling, and then cooking them like potatoes (Fernald et al. 1958). Porcher
(1863) noted that Maianthemum growing in the Confederate States “yield starch from
their roots.” Even when Fernald et al. (1958) were considering them as food plants, they
cautioned that the herb was so uncommon it was “unwise to draw upon it when other
vegetable food is available.”
John Josselyn, writing of New England in 1672, recorded that berries were “called
treacle-berries,—having the perfect taste of treacle when they are ripe. … Certainly a
very wholesome berry, and medicinal.” Fernald et al. (1958) added that the fruits are
“bittersweet, suggesting bitter molasses, but they are cathartic and should be eaten with
caution."" [Daniel F Austin]
"Native North Americans burned the roots to produce smoke to revive an unconscious person (Krochmal and Krochmal 1973). This species was reported as Smilacina amplexicaulis (Nutt.) S. Wats. in the original texts. Maianthemum racemosum (L.) Link. ssp. racemosum (Convallariaceae). Father Solomon’s seal. This species, which was reported as Smilacina racemosa (L.) in original ethnobotanical texts (see Moerman 1998), was burned by the Chippewa of North America to produce smoke that was considered useful for relieving headaches and other pain (Gilmore 1933). The Potawatomi, also of North America, prepared a smudge of the roots to revive comatose patients (Smith 1933)." [UAPDS]
"As with the root vegetables, some edible wild greens have toxic look-alikes, and people have been seriously poisoned, for example, by mistaking the highly poisonous false hellebore (Veratrum viride) for the edible shoots of false Solomon’s-seal (Maianthemum racemosum) (Turner and Von Aderkas, 2009)." [ETWP]
"Rootstock is soaked in lye, parboiled and eaten like potatoes or pickled" [EMNMPV.9]
"An easy plant to grow[233], it requires a deep fertile humus rich moisture retentive soil, neutral to slightly acid, that does not dry out in the growing season, and a shady position[200]. Requires a lime-free soil[233]. It does well in a woodland garden[200]. Hardy to about -20oc[200]. Plants take a few years to become established[208]. This species can be separated into two sub-species, S. racemosa racemosa being found in the east of the range whilst S. racemosa amplexicaule is found in the west[270]. One report says that the plant is apomictic (producing seeds without sexual fusion), though this needs to be investigated further[270]. The flowers have a gentle sweet perfume[245]." [PFAF]
"Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. The seed can be very slow to germinate, often taking 18 months. Stored seed should be sown in a cold frame as soon as possible, it may take 2 years or longer to germinate. Grow the seedlings on in a shady part of a greenhouse for their first year without pricking them out, giving them liquid or foliar feeds as required to ensure that they do not become nutrient deficient. Divide the young plants up into individual pots in the autumn when they are dormant, and grow them on for at least another year in a shady part of the greenhouse. When the plants have reached a sufficient size, plant them out in the autumn whilst they are dormant. Division in spring or early autumn. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer." [PFAF]
"Smilacina stellata is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.6 m (2ft in).
It is hardy to zone 3. It is in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen from Aug to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects." [PFAF]
"Moist to mesic (occasionally dry) forests, streambanks, clearings and meadows in the montane to lower alpine zones; common throughout BC, except the north coast; N to AK, YT and NT, E to NF and S to MA, PA, VA, TN, AR, OK, NM, AZ and CA". [IFBC-E-flora]
Star-flowered lily of the valley was employed medicinally by several native North American Indian tribes who used it to treat a variety of complaints[257]. It is little, if at all, used in modern herbalism. [PFAF]
"Requires a deep fertile humus rich moisture retentive soil, neutral to slightly acid, that does not dry out in the growing season, and a shady position[200]. Does well in a woodland garden[200]. Plants have a creeping rhizome and can form extensive patches[187]. Fruits well in a shady woodland position at Kew[K]. Hardy to about -25oc[187]. Plants are slow to establish but then can become invasive[208]. The flowers are powerfully scented[245]." [PFAF]
"Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. The seed can be very slow to germinate, often taking 18 months. Stored seed should be sown in a cold frame as soon as possible, it may take 2 years or longer to germinate. Grow the seedlings on in a shady part of a greenhouse for their first year without pricking them out, giving them liquid or foliar feeds as required to ensure that they do not become nutrient deficient. Divide the young plants up into individual pots in the autumn when they are dormant, and grow them on for at least another year in a shady part of the greenhouse. When the plants have reached a sufficient size, plant them out in the autumn whilst they are dormant. Division in spring or early autumn. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer." [PFAF]