Eryngium yuccifolium
| Eryngium yuccifolium | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Apiales |
| Family: | Apiaceae |
| Genus: | Eryngium |
| Species: | E. yuccifolium |
| Binomial name | |
| Eryngium yuccifolium Michx. | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
Eryngium synchaetum J.M.Coult. & Rose | |
Eryngium yuccifolium (button eryngo, button snake-root, or rattlesnake master) is a herbaceous perennial plant of the parsley family native to the tallgrass prairies of central and eastern North America, from Minnesota east to Ohio and south to Texas and Florida, including some few spots in Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware.
Name
It gets its name because some Native Americans used its root as an antidote for rattlesnake venom. The scientific name was given because its leaves resemble those of yuccas. Fibers of rattlesnake master have also been found as one of the primary materials used in the ancient shoe construction of Midwestern Native Americans.[2]
Description
It grows to 1.8 m (5.9 feet) tall, with waxy bluish-green linear leaves 15–100 cm (.5 to 3.5 feet) long but only 1–3 cm (.4 to 1.25 inches) broad, with bristly or spiny margins and a sharp tip. The flowers are produced in dense rounded apical umbels 1–3 cm (0.4-1.25 inches) in diameter; each tiny flower is greenish-white or bluish-white, 3–4 mm diameter, blooming in July and August. When this plant flowers, pollen matures before stigmas become receptive to maximize outcrossing. The flowers have a faint honey-like scent. It makes a good choice as a plant for pollinators. Rattlesnake master has unusually high seed set (close to 90%).[3]
Ecology
E. yuccifolium is fairly intolerant of anthropogenic disturbance,[4] but readily re-establishes in prairie restorations.[5][6]
Cultivation
It is sold by a good number of native plant nurseries for prairie or native meadow restoration or for gardens and landscapes. Some large conventional nurseries also sell it for gardens and landscapes. It does best with full sun and well-drained soil. Slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil reaction (pH) is best. It can die from root rot if the soil stays wet or moist for too long. Once planted it is best left undisturbed and never dug up and reset as with many perennials because it develops a large taproot and other thick, fleshy roots. It often self-sows a little to a good amount in gardens.
References
- ↑ The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species, retrieved 1 October 2015
- ↑ http://www.sciencemag.org/content/281/5373/72.long
- ↑ Melano Flores, Brenda. 2001. "Reproductive Biology of Eryngium yuccifolium (Apiaceae), a prairie species". Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society 128:1-6
- ↑ Swink, Floyd and Gerould Wilhelm. Plants of the Chicago Region. Indiana Academy of Science. 1994
- ↑ Betz, R. F., Lootens, R. J. & Becker, M. K. (1996) Two decades of prairie restoration at Fermilab Batvia, Illinois. Proceedings of the North American Prairie Conference (ed C. Warwick). St. Charles, Illinois.
- ↑ Schramm, P. (1990) Prairie Restoration: A twenty-five year perspective on establishment and management. Proceedings of the twelfth North American Prairie conference (eds D. D. Smith & C. A. Jacobs). University of Northern Iowa.
External links
- Blanchan, Neltje (2002). Wild Flowers: An Aid to Knowledge of Our Wild Flowers and Their Insect Visitors. Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.