Common Name: Dragon's Head

General Information

Lallemantia iberica is a much-branched, annual to biennial plant growing around 30 - 100cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It is cultivated as an oil plant, some named varieties have been developed for food and for industry[]. The plant is also sometimes grown as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

W. Asia - Turkey, the Caucasus, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Iran, Turkmenistan

Habitat

Roadsides, slopes and fallow fields, also as a weed of cultivation; at elevations up to 2,150 metres[]. Dry gravelly slopes, gravelly terraces with tragacanth and juniper, stony taluses; ascending in mountains to 1,700 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual/Biennial
Height	0.45 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Grows best in a warm, sunny location. Requires a neutral to calciferous, light, well-drained soil[, ]. Dislikes clay soils and acid soils[].The plant develops deep roots, helping it to resist droughts[].
The seeds do not ripen at the same time and fall to the ground easily, which is why the harvest should begin as early as possible, ideally when the seeds of the main shoot start turning brown. Depending on the weather conditions, yields can amount to 10 - 25 dt/ha, with an oil content between 26 - 40%[].
To counteract irregular ripening, it is advisable to sow the seeds closely. If the plants do not stand close together, they produce too many side shoots, which in turn promotes seed ripening at different time[].
The flowers are very attractive to bees[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked and used as a potherb[, , , , ].

Seed - raw or cooked. It is rich in oil[]. The seed contains up to 35% oil[, ].

An edible oil is obtained from the seed[, , , , ].

Medicinal

The seed is antitussive and laxative. It is used to treat gastric ulcers, hoarseness and dry throat[, ]

Other Uses

An oil obtained from the seeds is used for varnish, lighting, oil paints and lubricant productiont[, , , ]. It is a substitute for linseed oil in the production of linoleum, as it contains a high amount of linolenic acid[, ].

Propagation

Seed - sow mid-spring in situ. The minimum temperature for the seed to germinate is 2 - 3°c[]. Very fast germination[], seedlings grow away rapidly and are able to outcompete other annual weeds[].