Codonopsis clematidea

Family: Campanulaceae

What it is like

A herb. It keeps growing from year to year. The roots are carrot-shaped. They are 25-45 cm long by 1-3 cm wide. The stems are 50-100 cm tall. The lower branches are slender and erect and those higher up have flowers. The leaves on the stem are alternate and those on the branches are opposite. They are 1-4 cm long by 1-2 cm wide. They are hairy underneath. The flowers are pale blue with dark blue veins.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows in cold desert in north India. In western China it grows in mountain forests and by streams between 1,700-2,500 m above sea level. In the Indian Himalayas it grows between 3,000-4,100 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Afghanistan, Asia, Central Asia, China, Himalayas, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Tibet

How it is used for food

The roots are eaten raw or cooked.

The roots are eaten raw as a snack in the field.

Edible parts

Roots

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Bruktung, Mokhting

Synonyms

Codonopsis clematidea var. obtusa (Chipp) Kitam.; Codonopsis obtusa (Chipp) Nannf.; Wahlenbergia clematidea Schrenk ex Fisch. & C. A. Mey.; and others