Common Name: Turkmenian Mandrake

General Information

Mandragora turcomanica is a more or less stemless, herbaceous perennial plant forming a rosette of leaves from a deep taproot. The leaves are up to 80cm long and 60cm wide, forming a large rosette up to 150cm in diameter[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine.
Although as of 2018 this plant is not included in the IUCN Red List of Endangered Plants[], the plant has a restricted range, being found in Turkmenistan and possibly in Iran and is at possible threat[].

Known Hazards

All parts of the plant contain alkaloids and are poisonous[, ].

Botanical References

,

Range

Central Asia - Turkmenistan

Habitat

Stony and rubbly slopes, growing with thickets of Paliurus spina-christi, and along dry river beds in mountain valleys; at elevations around 500 - 700 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.20 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Mandragora turkomanica commences growth with the beginning of the rainy season in the autumn, growing through the winter, flowering in late winter to early spring before dying down and becoming dormant through the hot, dry summer[].
Species in this genus generally prefer a deep humus-rich light soil and a sheltered position in full sun[], though they also tolerate some shade[]. Prefers a circumneutral soil[] and dislikes chalk or gravel[]. Plants are liable to rot in wet or ill-draining soils[].

Edible Uses

Fruit[]. The pulpy fruit is juicy with an aroma of melons[]. The yellow to orange, globose fruit can be 40 - 60mm in diameter[].
Some caution is advised in the use of this fruit, it is quite possibly poisonous. See notes above on toxicity[].

Medicinal

We have no specific information, but the plant is used locally for medicinal purposes[]. The roots are a rich source of alkaloids, which can be narcotic and hallucinogenic (see Mandragora officinarum).

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame in the autumn[]. The seed can also be sown in spring in a cold frame. 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.
Root cuttings in winter[].
The plant is capable of vegetative reproduction, having numerous underground buds on its root[].