Lygodesmia grandiflora
(Nutt.)Torr.&A.Gray.
Asteraceae
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.
Common Name: Skeleton Plant
General Information
Lygodesmia grandiflora is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.60 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
60- Title
- Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hitchcock. C. L.
- Publisher
- University of Washington Press
- Year
- 1955
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A standard flora for Western N. America with lots of information on habitat etc. Five large volumes, it is not for the casual reader.
,
71- Title
- A California Flora.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Munz P.A. & Keck D.D.
- Publisher
- University of California Press; Los Angeles
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent flora but no pictures. Not for the casual reader.
,
270- Title
- Flora of N. America
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
Range
South-western N. America - Idaho to Wyoming, south to Arizona and New Meico.
Habitat
Open dry places in valleys and foothills[
212- Title
- A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers
- Publication
-
- Author
- Craighead. J., Craighead. F. and Davis. R.
- Publisher
- The Riverside Press
- Year
- 1963
- ISBN
- 63-7093
- Description
- Excellent little pocket guide to the area, covering 590 species and often giving details of their uses.
]. Open sites, alluvial, sandy, or gravelly soils, juniper-sagebrush scrub at elevations of 1200 - 2800 metres[
270- Title
- Flora of N. America
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Habit | Perennial |
| Height | 0.60 m |
| Pollinators | Insects |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
We have almost no information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in at least the milder areas of the country. It is likely to require a sunny position in a light well-drained soil.
A variable plant, there are a number of botanical varieties[
270- Title
- Flora of N. America
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
].
Edible Uses
Leaves - cooked[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
61- Title
- A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Usher. G.
- Publisher
- Constable
- Year
- 1974
- ISBN
- 0094579202
- Description
- Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
,
105- Title
- Tanaka's Cyclopedia of Edible Plants of the World.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tanaka. T. & Nakao S.
- Publisher
- Keigaku Publishing; Tokyo
- Year
- 1976
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- The most comprehensive list of edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
]. Used as greens and as a flavouring[
161- Title
- Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Yanovsky. E.
- Publisher
- U.S. Depf of Agriculture.
- Year
-
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.
,
212- Title
- A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers
- Publication
-
- Author
- Craighead. J., Craighead. F. and Davis. R.
- Publisher
- The Riverside Press
- Year
- 1963
- ISBN
- 63-7093
- Description
- Excellent little pocket guide to the area, covering 590 species and often giving details of their uses.
,
216- Title
- Ethnobotany of the Hopi
- Publication
-
- Author
- Whiting. A. F.
- Publisher
- North Arizona Society of Science and Art
- Year
- 1939
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A very good guide the the plant uses of the N. American Hopi Indians.
,
257- Title
- Native American Ethnobotany
- Publication
-
- Author
- Moerman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-88192-453-9
- Description
- Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
].
Medicinal
The leaves are chewed to increase the milk flow of lactating mothers[
216- Title
- Ethnobotany of the Hopi
- Publication
-
- Author
- Whiting. A. F.
- Publisher
- North Arizona Society of Science and Art
- Year
- 1939
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A very good guide the the plant uses of the N. American Hopi Indians.
,
257- Title
- Native American Ethnobotany
- Publication
-
- Author
- Moerman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-88192-453-9
- Description
- Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
].
The plant sap has been used as a healing salve on the sores caused by sunburn[
257- Title
- Native American Ethnobotany
- Publication
-
- Author
- Moerman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-88192-453-9
- Description
- Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed - sow spring in a cold frame and only just cover the seed. 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.
Division can be tried in the spring.
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Temperate Plants Database 2016 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
