Stanleya elata

Jones

Panamint Prince's-plume

Brassicaceae Edible: Leaves, Seeds 443 iNaturalist observations

iNaturalist· cc-by

Summary

Stanleya elata is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae known by the common name Panamint princesplume. It is native to the desert mountains of eastern California and western Nevada, where it grows in rocky and scrubby habitat types. It may also occur in Arizona. It is a perennial herb producing one or more erect stems reaching about 1.5 meters in maximum height. They are hairless and often waxy in texture. The thick, leathery leaves have lance-shaped or oblong blades with smooth or toothed edges measuring up to 15 centimeters long. They are borne on petioles. The top of the stem is occupied by a long inflorescence which is a dense, snaking raceme of many flowers. Each flower has four narrow, threadlike yellow or whitish petals each about a centimeter long and a millimeter wide. The fruit is a long, thin, wormlike silique which may be 10 centimeters in length. It contains tiny seeds.

Description

A perennial herb reaching 1.5 m tall, hardy to UK zone 7. It flowers in June with hermaphrodite blooms pollinated by insects. Thrives in light sandy or medium loamy, well-drained soils across mildly acidic to mildly alkaline pH ranges. Requires full sun and tolerates both dry and moist conditions with good drought resistance.

Edible Uses

Seeds are cooked and used as a piñole. Young leaves and stems are cooked but have a rather bitter flavour; they are washed repeatedly with cold and boiling water several times before eating to reduce bitterness, though this process also removes many vitamins and minerals.

Medicinal Uses

None known

Distribution

It is a temperate plant.

Where It Grows

North America, USA,

Cultivation

Requires a perfectly drained soil in full sun. Plants resent root disturbance and so should be put out into their permanent positions whilst small.

Propagation

Sow seed in spring in a greenhouse; germination should occur within 3 weeks. Pot seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle, to protect the root system, then plant out in summer. Division in spring may also be possible.

Other Uses

None known

References (4)

Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M., and James A. Duke. "The Foodplant Database." http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300/cgi-bin/browse/foodplantdb.(ACEDB version 4.0 - data version July 1994)
Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 837
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew