Author: | Harold Ernest Robinson, 1978 |
Family: |
ASTERACEAE |
Origin: |
Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador,
Peru (China, Costa Rica) |
Soil: |
Rich | Water: |
Medium - Maximum | Sun: |
Maximum |
Thickness: |
10 Centimetres |
Height: |
250 Centimetres
| Flower: |
Yellow |
Propagate: | Seeds |
Names: |
Yacón, Peruvian Ground Apple |
Synonyms: |
Polymnia sonchifolia, Eduard
Friedrich Poeppig, 1845.
Polymnia edulis, Wedd, 1857.
Silphium edule, Baill. |
This member of the Asteraceae family
was given this name by Harold Ernest Robinson in 1978. It is found in Argentina,
Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and grown as a crop in China and Costa Rica
among others. It growing in a rich soil with some to lots of water and lots
of sun. The caudex can grow to ten centimetres in diameter, the entire plant
to 250 centimetres in height. The flowers are yellow.
The genera name after John Kunkel Small,
1869-1938, an American botanist, and Latin anthus; 'flower'. The
species name means 'flowers like Sonchus', a member of the Cichorieae
family.
I have to admit, it is a bit crop-like,
but it is a biennial to perennial herb - just being used as a crop. |