Physaria fendleri
(A. Gray) O'Kane & Al-Shehbaz
Bladder-pod
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(c) Matthew Harvey, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Matthew Harvey
Summary
Source: WikipediaPhysaria fendleri is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae known by several common names, including Fendler's bladderpod, popweed, and lesquerella.
Description
A herb. It can keep growing from year to year or be grown each year from seeds. The pods (siliques) contain 6-25 seeds each.
This description is brief — help expand it
Edible Uses
The species is best known as the richest source of bladderpod oil. Most Physaria species contain the hydroxy acid lesquerolic acid in their oil with a seed oil content of ~24%. This oil is useful as a replacement for castor oil in some applications due to its ability to form estolides. If the plant becomes more widely cultivated and breeding and refinement techniques are improved, the oil could be used in a number of industries, including cosmetics, coatings, plastics, and lubricants. One obstacle to use is the oil's reddish-brown color, which makes it less valuable for certain applications than the colorless or pale yellow castor oil. Breeding may reduce the pigment load of the plant's oils over time. Breeding may also favor other characteristics in this species, such as its capacity for cultivation in other climates, male sterility to allow better control of pollination, and tolerance for a wider array of soil types. The plant has uses beyond its oil. The seed coat of P. fendleri also contains a useful natural gum which might be viable as a food additive similar to xanthan gum. The mash is high in protein, and has a similar proportion of various amino acids to the soybean. It may prove to be a good animal fodder.
Traditional Uses
The seed coat contains a gum used as a food additive.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Distribution
It is a warm temperate or Mediterranean climate plant. It can grow in arid regions.
Where It Grows
Mexico, North America, USA,
Synonyms
Also Known As
Fendler's bladdedpod, Lesquerella, Yellowpod
References (3)
- INFOODSUpdatedFGU-list.xls
- Piedra-Malagón, E. M. et al, 2022, Edible native plants of the Gulf of Mexico Province. Biodiversity Data Journal 10: e80565 p 14 (As Lesquerella fendleri)
- Wikipedia
