Prince's Plume, Desert princesplume, Bipinnate princesplume, Golden princesplume, Inyo princesplume
Stanleya pinnata

Family: Brassicaceae or Cruciferae

What it is like

Stanleya pinnata is a PERENNIAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7. It is in flower from July to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) 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 dry or moist soil.

Height (m): 1

Where it is found

Seleniferous soils, desert slopes and washes to 1500 metres.

South-western N. America - California.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Seed - cooked. It is used as a piñole. The seed can be parched, ground into a powder and used as a mush. Young leaves and stems - cooked. A cabbage-like flavour, they can be quite bitter at first but changing the water once or more whilst cooking removes the bitterness. Used in the spring. Changing the water also removes many of the vitamins and minerals.

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Medicine

Rating: 2

A decoction of the root has been used as a tonic to treat general debility after an illness. The pulped root can be placed on the gum or in a tooth cavity in order to relieve toothache. It can also be applied externally as a poultice to relieve earache and rheumatic pain. A poultice of the mashed root has been applied to the throat to treat throat pain and is also used to treat the congestion of diphtheria. A poultice of the plant has been applied to glandular swellings. The powdered plant has been applied as a specific to scraped syphilitic sores. A poultice of the freshly chewed seedpods has been used to treat itches.

Antipruritic: Treats itching of the skin.

Odontalgic: Treats toothache (temporary measure only) and other problems of the teeth and gums.

Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.

Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.

VD: Used in the treatment of venereal disease

Other

Rating:

How it is grown

Requires a perfectly drained soil in full sun. Grows well in an ordinary garden soil. Prefers a poor dry soil. Hardy to about -20°c. Grows well at Kew in a warm sunny well-drained border. There is some confusion over the correct name of this plant, 2 different spellings having been used. Whilst it is possible that these are 2 different plants, it is more likely that the name used at the top of this form is the correct one, whilst the name in the synonyms list is a mis-spelling. The plant is often found growing in soils rich in selenium and is a fairly good indicator that selenium is present.

Propagating it: Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. Germination should take place within 3 weeks. Pot up into individual pots as soon as the plants are big enough to handle in order to preserve the root system. Plant out in summer. Division in spring?

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 6-9

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

S. pinnatifida. Nutt.