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Useful Temperate Plants

Athamanta cretensis

L.

Apiaceae

+ Synonyms

Athamanta alpina Stokes

Athamanta annua L.

Athamanta capillacea Lam

Athamanta hirsuta (Lam.) Pohl

Athamanta hirsuta Briq.

Athamanta hispanica Degen ex Hervier

Athamanta lobelii Caruel

Athamanta mutellinoides Lam.

Athamanta rupestris Vill.

Athamanta vestita A.Kern.

Daucus creticus Garsault

Durieua graeca Boiss.

Libanotis annua Crantz

Libanotis cretensis Scop.

Libanotis italica Crantz

Libanotis pumila Crantz

Selinum athamanta E.H.L.Krause

Seseli athamantha Ces.

Turbith annua Tausch

Common Name: Candy Carrot

Athamanta cretensis
Flowering plant, growing in neglected grassland on the Rax plateau, district Neunkirchen, Lower Austria at around 1,600 metres
Photograph by: Stefan.lefnaer
Creative Commons License
Athamanta cretensis Athamanta cretensis Athamanta cretensis Athamanta cretensis

General Information

Athamanta cretensis is a herbaceous perennial plant producing a branched or unbranched stem up to 60cm tall from a long taproot[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food flavouring.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

50
Title
Flora Europaea
Publication
 
Author
?
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Year
1964
ISBN
-
Description
An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for Europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.
,
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Range

Southern Europe - southeaster Spain to southern Germany, south to Italy and the Balkans

Habitat

Rocky places, mainly in mountains[
50
Title
Flora Europaea
Publication
 
Author
?
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Year
1964
ISBN
-
Description
An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for Europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *
HabitPerennial
Height0.60 m
PollinatorsInsects
Self-fertileYes
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

Athamanta cretensis is a plant of the montane zone in southern Europe, where it can be found at elevations up to 2,700 metres. It experiences hot, dry summers and cool to cold winters. It can tolerate some frost, down to at least -5°c for short periods, but cannot tolerate a combination of wet soils and cold weather.
Succeeds in most soils[
1
Title
RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
Publication
 
Author
F. Chittendon.
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Year
1951
ISBN
-
Description
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
]. Requires a well-drained soil in full sun[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
The long tap root is susceptible to rot in wet winters[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].

Edible Uses

The seed is used as a flavouring[
177
Title
Plants for Human Consumption.
Publication
 
Author
Kunkel. G.
Publisher
Koeltz Scientific Books
Year
1984
ISBN
3874292169
Description
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
,
183
Title
Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications
Year
1990
ISBN
0-9628087-0-9
Description
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
]. An agreeable liquor is made from it[
2
Title
Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
Publication
 
Author
Hedrick. U. P.
Publisher
Dover Publications
Year
1972
ISBN
0-486-20459-6
Description
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame[
1
Title
RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
Publication
 
Author
F. Chittendon.
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Year
1951
ISBN
-
Description
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
]. Germination usually takes place within 3 - 6 weeks at 13°c[
134
Title
Growing from Seed. Volume 2.
Publication
 
Author
Rice. G. (Editor)
Publisher
Thompson and Morgan.
Year
1988
ISBN
-
Description
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.
]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
The seed can also be sown in situ as soon as the soil is workable in the spring[
134
Title
Growing from Seed. Volume 2.
Publication
 
Author
Rice. G. (Editor)
Publisher
Thompson and Morgan.
Year
1988
ISBN
-
Description
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.
].
Division in spring, with care[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2024-12-03. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Athamanta+cretensis>

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