General Plant Information (Edit)
| Plant Habit: |
Herb/Forb
|
| Life cycle: |
Perennial
|
| Plant Height: |
6-12 inches |
| Leaves: |
Other: none
|
| Flowers: |
Inconspicuous
Other: minute
|
| Flower Color: |
Russet
|
| Flower Time: |
Spring
|
| Underground structures: |
Rhizome
|
| Uses: |
Culinary Herb
Medicinal Herb
|
| Eating Methods: |
Raw
Cooked
|
| Pollinators: |
Flies
|
| Miscellaneous: |
Endangered: in Malta
|
- Tarthuth
- Sou Yany
- Maltese Mushroom
- Red Thumb
- Desert Thumb
Posted by
gardengus (Indiana Zone 5b) on Oct 4, 2014 3:24 PM concerning plant:
This plant is not a true fungus. It is a holoparasitic plant that feeds on the roots of salt tolerant plants.
It has no chlorophyll and is totally dependent on its host. It is a geophyte, living underground until flowering.
It has a very interesting history of being both a food source and a much desired medicinal herb, documented as far back as 1347 as an ingredient in a recipe.
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