Leafless calligonum
Calligonum aphyllum

Family: Polygonaceae

What it is like

A shrub. It grows 1.2 m high. It has a rhizome or taproot. This can result in a clump of shrubs. The leaves are 20-30 mm long. The flowers occur in twos.

There are about 80 Calligonum species. It is a C4 plant.

Where it is found

It is a cool temperate plant. It is best in sandy soils in dry arid areas. It needs full sunlight. It grows on sand dunes. In western China it grows between 500-600 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Britain, Central Asia, China, Europe, Caspian, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Middle East, Russia, Siberia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

How it is used for food

The young shoots are cooked and eaten. The young fruit are eaten. An edible gum has been extracted from the leaves and the pounded roots. The roots are pounded and yield an edible gum-like substance.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves, gum, root

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Calligonum pallasii L'Herit; Calligonum polygonoides Pallas; Calligonum rigidum Litvinov; Pterococcus aphyllus Pallas;