Daucus edulis
(Lowe) Wojew., Reduron, Banasiak & Spalik
Apiaceae
Melanoselinum edule (Lowe) Drude.
Monizia edulis Lowe
Thapsia edulis (Lowe) G.Nicholson
Thapsia moniza Masf.
Melanoselinum moniza A.Chev.
Common Name: Carrot Tree
General Information
Daucus edulis is a monocarpic, perennial plant growing about 1.2 metres tall.
The plant is sometimes gathered from the wild for its edible root and medicinal virtues.
Daucus edulis is endemic to Madeira and Deserta Grande, where it covers a geographic range of just 226 km². It's habitat is declining due to infrastructure development, recreational activities and the invasion of exotic species. Collection, fires, droughts, storms, and landslides are all further threats to this species. Despite an increasing trend, the total population counts less than 50 mature individuals. It is classified as 'Critically Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Range
Madeira
Habitat
Rocky cliffs and terraces with soil accumulation[
2- Title
- Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hedrick. U. P.
- Publisher
- Dover Publications
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- 0-486-20459-6
- Description
- Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
,
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Properties
| Conservation Status | Critically Endangered |
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Perennial |
| Height | 1.20 m |
| Pollinators | Insects |
| Self-fertile | Yes |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Daucus edulis is a plant of the subtropics and is not very cold-hardy. It can tolerate short periods with temperatures falling as low as -5°c[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Requires a position in full sun in any moderately fertile well-drained soil[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
A monocarpic species, living for a number of years without flowering and then dying after flowering[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Edible Uses
Root - raw or cooked[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
,
105- Title
- Tanaka's Cyclopedia of Edible Plants of the World.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tanaka. T. & Nakao S.
- Publisher
- Keigaku Publishing; Tokyo
- Year
- 1976
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- The most comprehensive list of edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
]. The root tastes like earth nuts when it is raw but is insipid when cooked[
2- Title
- Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hedrick. U. P.
- Publisher
- Dover Publications
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- 0-486-20459-6
- Description
- Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
].
Medicinal
The root and stems are cooked and used as a digestive[
433- Title
- The Ethnopharmacology of Madeira and Porto Santo Islands, a review
- Publication
-
- Author
- Rivera, D.; Obon, C.
- Publisher
- Journal of Ethnopharmacology 46
- Year
- 1995
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An enumeration of the medicinal plants of Madeira with a table summarizing the species and their uses.
].
Other Uses
An essential oil is obtained from the leaves[
432- Title
- Flavour and Fragrance Journal, Vol. 12, Issue 1.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Figueiredo, C; Barroso, J.G.; Pedro, L.G.; Fontinha, S.S. Et
- Publisher
- J. Wiley and Sons.
- Year
- 1997
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An article on the essential oil content of Monizia edulis.
; Looman, A;, Scheffer, J.J.C.
].
An essential oil is obtained from the flowers[
432- Title
- Flavour and Fragrance Journal, Vol. 12, Issue 1.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Figueiredo, C; Barroso, J.G.; Pedro, L.G.; Fontinha, S.S. Et
- Publisher
- J. Wiley and Sons.
- Year
- 1997
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An article on the essential oil content of Monizia edulis.
; Looman, A;, Scheffer, J.J.C.
].
Propagation
Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe if possible, otherwise sow it in early spring. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
