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Mentzelia albicaulis

Basic Information

Family: Loasaceae

Genus: mentzelia

Plant ID (slug): mentzelia-albicaulis

Numeric ID: 23965

USDA Hardiness: Coming soon

Ratings

Physical Characteristics

Mentzelia albicaulis is a ANNUAL growing to 0.3 m (1ft). The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

Distribution

Western N. America - British Columbia to California.

Habitats

Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Seed Edible Uses: Seed - raw or cooked. The oily seed is parched and ground into a meal then mixed with water to make a mush[2, 46, 61, 105, 161, 212, 257]. The seed meal can be kneaded into a seed butter and used as a spread on bread[257]. The minute seeds are much used for food by several native North American Indian tribes[207].

Medicinal Uses

Odontalgic Poultice Salve A poultice of the crushed, soaked seeds has been applied to burns and also to relieve the pain of toothache[257].