The flower looks to be "cleanly" cut rather than torn by teeth...plus I can't find any info that lists this flower as food. The berries are eaten by wild turkeys and rodents/mammals.
"BENEFIT
Use Wildlife: Birds and mammals eat the berries of this plant.
Use Food:Native Americans gathered the fleshy taproots (corms) as a vegetable. Roots, only when dried or cooked. Collect roots in early spring. Never eat roots raw as they can be intensely bitter and can cause blisters. Dry for at least six months before eating. Peel, cut into small pieces, roast in the oven for at least one hour and grind into a flour or coffee grinder until quite fine. Add the ground root to bread doughs or muffin batters. Thin slices of the root, dried for 3 months, can be eaten as snacks or with potato-chip dip. (Poisonous Plants of N.C. State)
Warning: Containing needle-like calcium oxalate crystals and perhaps other acrid substances, the berries, foliage, and roots of this plant will cause painful irritation of the mouth and throat if ingested. The roots can cause blisters on skin if touched. Because of needle-like calcium oxalate crystals in the underground tuber, it is peppery to the taste and causes a strong burning reaction if eaten raw. This unpleasant property can be eliminated by cooking. American First Nations gathered the fleshy taproots (corms) as a vegetable. (Niering)"
http://www.wildflower.org/plan...
