Common Name:

General Information

Arthropodium cirrhatum is an evergreen, perennial plant growing from a tuberous rootstock. The plant produces a cluster of spear-shaped, basal leaves up to 60cm long and one or more flowering stems up to 100cm long[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine. It was possibly cultivated by the Maori as a root crop - the plant responds well to cultivation with a notable increase in root size[]. It is often grown in gardens, valued especially for itd floral display.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

New Zealand

Habitat

Rocky cliffs near the sea, often in colonies, on North and South Islands north of latitude 42° 30´s[]

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Perennial
Height	0.80 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Plants are not very cold-hardy, tolerating temperatures down to about -3°c[]. They can only succeed outdoors in the milder regions of the temperate zone[].
Prefers a well-drained sandy peaty loam in a warm, sheltered sunny position[]. Grows best in a rich leafy soil[].
A polymorphic species[].
This plant was possibly formerly cultivated for its edible root by the Maoris, the root grows larger under cultivation[, ].

Edible Uses

Rhizome - cooked[, ]. Large and fleshy[].

Medicinal

The roots are used to make poultices. They are scraped, roasted, beaten to pulp and applied warm to unbroken tumours and abcesses[[].

The bases of the leaves are used as a poultice for treating ulcers[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow late winter in a cold greenhouse. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on for at least their first winter in a greenhouse. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Division in spring.