A. arvensis
         C. segetum
         C. spinosum
         P. dysenterica
         S. asper
         T. hybridum
         T. porrifolius

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Unless otherwise noted, all pictures on this site were taken in Pelion, Greece, shown on the map below.

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View images of the Common Toad, an ugly, bulky, but really sweet creature with an interesting... nightlife.

  Veggie of the Month

Learn about the Salsify, a beautiful plant, with edible and medicinal properties, that is currently blooming in Pelion.

  Cool Destination

Visit Mourtias, one of Pelion's most picturesque beaches on the Aegean coast.

  Exciting Site

Tour the Volos Archaeological Museum, a pretty century-old building, whose exhibits span a historical period of over 10 millennia!

  Month's Wallpaper

Download a fantastic picture of Horton, Pelion, taken from the dirt road that connects Horton with Metohi, a small village higher up.

Loading image. Please wait Salsify (Tragopogon porrifolius) :: Near Afissos :: 2008/04/14 :: © A.Papadopoulos Salsify (Tragopogon porrifolius) :: Near Afissos :: 2008/04/14 :: © A.Papadopoulos No image! No image! No image!

Salsify

Tragopogon porrifolius

This is a medium to tall, hairless biennial, with an erect stem, usually branched, to 1.2m (approx. 4ft), though often less, broadening below the flower heads. Leaves are broad, linear, widened at the base. Flower heads are lilac to dull reddish-purple, between 25 and 48mm (1 – 2in). Flower bracts are, often, 8, equalling or slightly longer than the rays.

According to "Plants for a Future", the root can be eaten, raw or cooked. The young root can be grated in salads, however older roots are best cooked. The flavor is mild and sweet, and is said to resemble oysters. Roots are harvested from October until early spring, or can be harvested in late autumn and stored until required. Young shoots are also edible, raw or cooked. The new growth, which has a sweet taste, is used in spring. Flowering shoots can be eaten, raw or cooked, and used like asparagus. Raw flowers can be added to salads. The sprouted seeds can be added to salads or sandwiches. The root latex can be used as a chewing gum.

The same source states that Salsify is a cleansing food, with a beneficial effect upon the liver and gallbladder. The root is  antibilious, slightly  aperient,  deobstruent and  diuretic. It is specific in the treatment of obstructions of the gall bladder and  jaundice, and is also used in the treatment of  arteriosclerosis and high blood pressure.

The "HYpermedia for Plant Protection" site states that the plant is cultivated for roots and young shoots, which can be eaten as green salad, and notes that the roots contain a high concentration of inulin. The "Merriam – Webster's Medical Dictionary", defines inulin as a white, mildly sweet plant polysaccharide that resists digestion in the stomach and small intestine, is extracted commercially, especially from the roots and rhizomes of composite plants (as chicory), and is used as a source of levulose (fructose), as a diagnostic agent in a test for kidney function, and as a food additive to improve the flavor and texture of low-fat and low-sugar processed foods.

"Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases" concur that the Salsify is antibilius, deobstruent,  masticatory and diuretic, and that it is used in the treatment of arteriosclerosis. They also add that the plant is  expectorant and  pectoral. Finally, they say that it can be used as a  potherb.

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Fact Sheet

Type of plant
Medium to tall, hairless biennial.

Flowering Season
April - June.

Known Hazards
None known.

Known Uses
Most parts of the plant are edible. Salsify is antibilious, aperient, deobstruent and diuretic; it is used mainly in the treatment of arteriosclerosis and high blood pressure. "Plants for a Future" rate it 3 out of 5 for edibility and 2 out of 5 for medicinal uses (min. 0, max. 5).

Habitat
Grassy habitats, roadsides, cultivated and waste ground.

Distribution
Throughout the Mediterranean region, excluding Portugal, Cyprus and parts of the extreme Eastern Med.

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Taxonomy


Kingdom: Plantae (Plants); Subkingdom: Tracheobionta (Vascular plants); Superdivision: Spermatophyta (Seed plants); Division: Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants); Class: Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons); Subclass: Asteridae; Order: Asterales; Family: Compositae or Asteraceae (Daisy or Sunflower family); Genus: Tragopogon; Species: porrifolius

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Acknowledgments

The following sources have been used in preparing this page:

• BLAMEY, M., GREY-WILSON, C. 1993. Collins Guide to the Mediterranean Wild Flowers. Domino Books, Jersey. (See detailed review)
• "Plants for a Future"
• "HYpermedia for Plant Protection"
• "Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases"
• "Merriam – Webster's Medical Dictionary"

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