Streptopus amplexifolius (twistedstalk,[1]clasping twistedstalk,[1]claspleaf twistedstalk,[1]white twisted-stalk, or watermelon berry) is a species of flowering plant in the family Liliaceae, native to North America, Europe and Asia.
It is a herbaceousperennial plant growing to 40–100 cm tall, with alternate, oblong-lanceolate leaves 5–14 cm long. The greenish-white flowers hang from axils on 1–2 cm thin kinked pedicels, each flower with six white tepals, 9–15 mm long. The plants leaves completely encircle the stem, and the stems have a kink at each leaf axil giving the plants stem a "twisted" and wiry appearance. The plants grow in a creeping habit in moist, dense undergrowth.[2][3][4][5]
Streptopus amplexifolius was used as a food plant by Native Americans in Eastern North America and as a medicine. The plant was referred to by early settlers of Eastern and Western North America as "wild cucumber" and as "scoot berries" for the mildly laxative effects of the berries if they are eaten in excessive quantities.
The tender young shoots of this plant were eaten by some aboriginal peoples as a salad green, but most considered the plant and berries poisonous.[8] The shoots are sweet with a cucumber-like flavor. The berries are reported to be juicy and sweet, with a watermelon-like flavor.[9] The juice of the berries was used as a soothing treatment for burns by Native American.
Streptopus amplexifolius has a superficial resemblance to False Solomon's Seal (Maianthemum racemosum), but Twisted Stalk produces axillary flowers and fruits along the stem, where False Solomon's Seal produces a terminal inflorescence. Also False Solomon's Seal is always a single unbranched stem, while Twisted Stalk can be branched at the bottom. In fruit, Twisted Stalk is easily identified by its large, juicy red berries which grow from each leaf axil and are highly visible, even in the thickest undergrowth, as they boldly contrast with the surrounding foliage.
When young, Twisted Stalk resembles members of the genus Veratrum, highly toxic plants that are members of the lily family, also. This plant should not be consumed unless identification is positive.
^Lamarck, Jean Baptiste Antoine Pierre de Monnet de & Candolle, Augustin Pyramus de. 1805. Flore Française. Troisième Édition 3: 174, Streptopus amplexifolius'
^Linnaeus, Carl von.1 1753. Species Plantarum 1: 304. as Uvularia amplexifolia
^Krause, Ernst Hans Ludwig. 1906. Deutschlands Flora ed. 2, 1: 115, as Convallaria amplexifolia
^Small, John Kunkel. 1933. Manual of the Southeastern Flora 298, as Tortipes amplexifolius
^Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West, Gregory L. Tilford, ISBN0-87842-359-1
^ abPojar, Jim; Andy MacKinnon (1994). Plants of the Pacific Northwest. Lone Pine Publishing. p. 101. ISBN1-55105-042-0.
^Shallcross, Leslie; Marci Johnson (2012). "Watermelon Berries" (PDF). University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2014-08-24.
Referencesedit
Media related to Streptopus amplexifolius at Wikimedia Commons
streptopus, amplexifolius, twistedstalk, clasping, twistedstalk, claspleaf, twistedstalk, white, twisted, stalk, watermelon, berry, species, flowering, plant, family, liliaceae, native, north, america, europe, asia, squak, mountain, state, parkscientific, clas. Streptopus amplexifolius twistedstalk 1 clasping twistedstalk 1 claspleaf twistedstalk 1 white twisted stalk or watermelon berry is a species of flowering plant in the family Liliaceae native to North America Europe and Asia Streptopus amplexifoliusSquak Mountain State ParkScientific classificationKingdom PlantaeClade TracheophytesClade AngiospermsClade MonocotsOrder LilialesFamily LiliaceaeGenus StreptopusSpecies S amplexifoliusBinomial nameStreptopus amplexifolius L DC SynonymsTortipes amplexifoliusIt is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 40 100 cm tall with alternate oblong lanceolate leaves 5 14 cm long The greenish white flowers hang from axils on 1 2 cm thin kinked pedicels each flower with six white tepals 9 15 mm long The plants leaves completely encircle the stem and the stems have a kink at each leaf axil giving the plants stem a twisted and wiry appearance The plants grow in a creeping habit in moist dense undergrowth 2 3 4 5 Contents 1 Distribution 2 Uses and edibility 3 Notes 4 References 5 External linksDistribution editStreptopus amplexifolius is widely distributed across North America Greenland northern United States including Alaska and most of Canada including Yukon and Northwest Territories The plant is most often found near shaded stream banks and in moist thickets of the montane and subalpine zones across most of North America 6 It is also found in central and southern Europe from Spain to Ukraine and as far north as Germany and Poland and in eastern Asia Japan Korea Myanmar Burma and eastern Russia Yakutia Amur Kamchatka Sakhalin Kuril Islands Khabarovsk Primorye 7 nbsp Flowers hang from slender kinked stalks Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest 8 Uses and edibility editStreptopus amplexifolius was used as a food plant by Native Americans in Eastern North America and as a medicine The plant was referred to by early settlers of Eastern and Western North America as wild cucumber and as scoot berries for the mildly laxative effects of the berries if they are eaten in excessive quantities The tender young shoots of this plant were eaten by some aboriginal peoples as a salad green but most considered the plant and berries poisonous 8 The shoots are sweet with a cucumber like flavor The berries are reported to be juicy and sweet with a watermelon like flavor 9 The juice of the berries was used as a soothing treatment for burns by Native American Streptopus amplexifolius has a superficial resemblance to False Solomon s Seal Maianthemum racemosum but Twisted Stalk produces axillary flowers and fruits along the stem where False Solomon s Seal produces a terminal inflorescence Also False Solomon s Seal is always a single unbranched stem while Twisted Stalk can be branched at the bottom In fruit Twisted Stalk is easily identified by its large juicy red berries which grow from each leaf axil and are highly visible even in the thickest undergrowth as they boldly contrast with the surrounding foliage nbsp Large juicy red berries grow from each leaf axil Mount Rainier National Park nbsp Streptopus amplexifolius MHNTWhen young Twisted Stalk resembles members of the genus Veratrum highly toxic plants that are members of the lily family also This plant should not be consumed unless identification is positive Notes edit a b c Streptopus amplexifolius Integrated Taxonomic Information System Lamarck Jean Baptiste Antoine Pierre de Monnet de amp Candolle Augustin Pyramus de 1805 Flore Francaise Troisieme Edition 3 174 Streptopus amplexifolius Linnaeus Carl von 1 1753 Species Plantarum 1 304 as Uvularia amplexifolia Krause Ernst Hans Ludwig 1906 Deutschlands Flora ed 2 1 115 as Convallaria amplexifolia Small John Kunkel 1933 Manual of the Southeastern Flora 298 as Tortipes amplexifolius Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West Gregory L Tilford ISBN 0 87842 359 1 Streptopus amplexifolius World Checklist of Selected Plant Families WCSP Royal Botanic Gardens Kew a b Pojar Jim Andy MacKinnon 1994 Plants of the Pacific Northwest Lone Pine Publishing p 101 ISBN 1 55105 042 0 Shallcross Leslie Marci Johnson 2012 Watermelon Berries PDF University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture Retrieved 2014 08 24 References edit nbsp Media related to Streptopus amplexifolius at Wikimedia Commons Blanchan Neltje 2002 Wild Flowers An Aid to Knowledge of our Wild Flowers and their Insect Visitors Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation External links editFlora of North America Streptopus amplexifolius Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Streptopus amplexifolius amp oldid 1188426809, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
