Boopsis australis
Family: Calyceraceae
What it is like
Boopsis australis is a PERENNIAL. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.
Height (m): 0
Where it is found
Open sands and gravels by the coast and estuaries, to elevations of 60 metres, from Tierra Del Fuego and north to latitude 39°s in Argentina.
Southern S. America.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Root - roasted.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range some provenances at least should succeed outdoors in many parts of this country. Plants are likely to be resistant to maritime winds. They probably require a light very well drained soil in a sunny position and will be more likely to be killed by winter wet than by cold.
Propagating it: Seed - possibly best sown in a greenhouse in early spring. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness:
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist