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Useful Temperate Plants

Echium amoenum

Fisch.&C.A.Mey.

Boraginaceae


The Temperate Database is in the process of being updated, with new records being added and old ones being checked and brought up to date where necessary. This record has not yet been checked and updated.

+ Synonyms

Common Name:

No Image.

General Information

Echium amoenum is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.30 metres tall
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

Europe - Russia.

Habitat

Not known

Properties

Medicinal Rating *  *
HabitPerennial
Height0.30 m
PollinatorsBees, Flies, Lepidoptera
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

We do not have much information on this species, but have seen a report that it is able to tolerate quite low winter temperatures[
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
]. It is a native of Russia and so it is likely to succeed outdoors in many parts of Britain. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus.
Succeeds in any good garden soil but flowers best when the soil is not too rich[
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 Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
].Prefers a warm position in a light, dry, stony soil[
289
Title
The National Non-Food Crops Centre Crop Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.nnfcc.co.uk/crops/pd.cfm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line information source, with information on over 100 species (as of 2006) of plants being investigated as bio-crops.
]. Requires a sunny position[
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

There has been an increase in interest in a number of Echium species because of the fatty acid composition of the seed oil[
289
Title
The National Non-Food Crops Centre Crop Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.nnfcc.co.uk/crops/pd.cfm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line information source, with information on over 100 species (as of 2006) of plants being investigated as bio-crops.
]. Like borage and evening primrose oil, it contains significant amounts of gamma linolenic acid (GLA), but it also contains the rarer stearidonic acid (SdA), which is also an important intermediate in the production of a number of important compounds in the body[
289
Title
The National Non-Food Crops Centre Crop Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.nnfcc.co.uk/crops/pd.cfm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line information source, with information on over 100 species (as of 2006) of plants being investigated as bio-crops.
]. Both acids are made by the same enzyme, and their effects are complimentary, so the oil is potentially valuable as a health food and cosmetic component[
289
Title
The National Non-Food Crops Centre Crop Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.nnfcc.co.uk/crops/pd.cfm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line information source, with information on over 100 species (as of 2006) of plants being investigated as bio-crops.
].
The seed oil from Echium contains a unique ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids[
289
Title
The National Non-Food Crops Centre Crop Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.nnfcc.co.uk/crops/pd.cfm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line information source, with information on over 100 species (as of 2006) of plants being investigated as bio-crops.
]. These lipids, previously obtained from other plant sources, have been used for many years in food supplements[
289
Title
The National Non-Food Crops Centre Crop Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.nnfcc.co.uk/crops/pd.cfm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line information source, with information on over 100 species (as of 2006) of plants being investigated as bio-crops.
]. Of potential interest for health food applications are the appreciable amounts of g-linolenic acid (GLA) as well as the unusual polyunsaturated fatty acid, stearidonic acid. Stearidonic acid is the equivalent position of GLA in the omega-3 metabolic pathway[
289
Title
The National Non-Food Crops Centre Crop Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.nnfcc.co.uk/crops/pd.cfm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line information source, with information on over 100 species (as of 2006) of plants being investigated as bio-crops.
].

Medicinal

The leaves have been used in western traditional medicine as a diuretic, demulcent, emollient and expectorant[
289
Title
The National Non-Food Crops Centre Crop Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.nnfcc.co.uk/crops/pd.cfm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line information source, with information on over 100 species (as of 2006) of plants being investigated as bio-crops.
].

Other Uses

The oil obtained from the seed is potentially valuable as a cosmetic component because of its moisturizing and anti-inflammatory action[
289
Title
The National Non-Food Crops Centre Crop Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.nnfcc.co.uk/crops/pd.cfm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line information source, with information on over 100 species (as of 2006) of plants being investigated as bio-crops.
].

Propagation

Seed - sow late winter-May or August-late autumn in situ. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 3 weeks at 15°c.
If the seed is in short supply then it can be sown in pots in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.
Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2024-12-03. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Echium+amoenum>

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