Angular Solomon's Seal
Polygonatum odoratum

Family: Asparagaceae

What it is like

A herb. It has rhizomes or underground stems. They are 5-14 mm thick. The stem arches over. It is 20-50 cm high. It is angled. There are 7-12 leaves which are alternate. The leaf stalk is short. The leaf blade is oval and 5-12 cm long by 3-6 cm wide. It tapers to the tip. The flowering stalk has 1-4 flowers. The flowers hang down. They are yellowish green. The fruit is a berry which is blue black. It is 7-10 mm across and has 7-9 seeds.

There are about 50 Polygonatum species. Also put in the family Convallariaceae.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows in forests and shaded slopes between 500-3000 m altitude in N China. It suits hardiness zones 3-9. In Sichuan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Asia, Australia, Balkans, Bosnia, Britain, Canada, China, Egypt, Europe, Iran, Japan, Korea, Lithuania, Middle East, Mongolia, North Africa, North America, Russia, Siberia, Slovenia, Spain, Taiwan, Tasmania, Tibet, Turkey, Türkiye

How it is used for food

The young shoots are parboiled then eaten like asparagus. They are also added to soups. The dried rhizomes are eaten raw or cooked. They are used in dishes and for bread.

Edible parts

Leaves, root

How it is grown

Plants are grown by division.

Its other names

Local names

A-li-ya, Amatokoro, Dišeči salomonov pečat, Pokosnica, Torarakex, Yu zhu, Yuzhu

Synonyms

Convallaria odorata Miller; Convallaria polygonatum L.; Polygonatum hondoense Nakai ex Koidzumi; Polygonatum japonicum C.Morren & Decaisne; Polygonatum langyaense D.C.Zhang & J.Z.Shao; Polygonatum maximowiczii F.Schmidt; Polygonatum odoratum f. ovalifolium Y.C.Chu et al; Polygonatum officinale Allioni; Polygonatum officinale var. papillosum Franchet; Polygonatum planifilum Kitagawa & Hir. Takahashi; Polygonatum quelpaertense Ohwi; Polygonatum simizui Kitagawa; Polygonatum thunbergii C.Morren & Decnaisne; Polygonatum vulgare Desfontaines;