Only Plant In Its Genus

Abobra tenuifolia. The Cranberry Gourd is a native of South America, specifically Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. The egg-shaped fruit is edible. If you are thinking of growing it you need male and female plants.Only Plant In Its GenusAchyrachaena soft; Blow Wives. The roasted seeds were eaten by California Indians.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Blow Wives
Aegle marmelos, Bael, is a native of Southeast Asia, from India to the Philippines. The Bael fruit has a smooth, hard woody shell with a gray, green or yellow peeling. It takes about 11 months to ripn reaching the size of a grapefruit. The yellow pulp is aromatic smelling like marmalade and roses combined. It is eaten fresh or dried, the juice is used to make a drink like lemonade. Leaves and small shoots are used as salad greens. Twigs are used as chew sticksOnly Plant In Its Genuswestern Allenrolfea, Iodine Bush, Pickleweed. Young stems are edible raw in limited amounts because of being salty. Used as a cooked green. The seeds are also edible.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Iodine Bush
Andromeda polifolia, Bog Rosemary. A cold water tea made from the mascerated plant was drank by the Ojibway Indians.Β  Do NOT make a tea using hot water. That will make the tea toxic.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Bog Rosemary
Anemonella thalictroides, Rue Anemone. The starchy root is edible after cooking.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Rue Anemone
Anethum graveolens, dill. Where would pickles be without dill? I use dill in many supper time concoctions, usually involving cucumbers.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Dill
Athysanus small, Sandweed. Its small seeds have been used as food.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Sandweed
Benincasa hispida, White Gourd, eaten raw or cooked, young or old, used as a vegetable; flowers and leaves steamed as a vegetable, seeds cooked.Β 
Only Plant In Its Genus
White Gourd
Bertholletia excelsa, the Brazil Nut. This common edible needs little introduction. From South American the tree itself grows to nearly 200 feet high and is named after French chemist Claude Louis Berthollet.Β Only Plant In Its GenusBrazil nutButomus umbellatus, flowering rush. A native of Eurasia the Flowering rush is become endangered in some areas of its native range but a pest in areas where it has been introduce, such as the Great Lakes. The root can be boiled and eaten.Only Plant In Its GenusFlowering RushBrasenia schreberi, Water Shield. This plant is common in Florida. It is odd in that its underleaf and stem are covered in a clear gel, making identification easy. To read more about the Water Shield click here.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Water Shield
CALLA; Water Arum, a northern tier species. To read more about the Water Arum click here.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Water Arum
Calypso bulbosa, Deer Orchid, Fairy Slipper. The corm-like root was eaten by Indians.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Deer Orchid
Giant Carnegie, Saguara, among the most famous of the cactus clan, and with quite edible fruit.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Saguara
Chamaedaphne calyculata, Leatherleaf. Leaves mashed in cold water, drunk as a cold tea by the Ojibway Indians.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Leatherleaf
Crithmum coastal Samphire. the salty leaves can be pickled in vinegar, added to salads, used like capers; flowers in salads. Often chopped and mixed with olive oil and lemon juice to be used as a salad dressing.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Samphire
Cycloloma atriplicifolium, Winged Pigweed. The seeds can be ground and used for mush or as cakes.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Winged Pigweed
Cydonia oblonga, quince. My mother has one growing outside her front door. When it takes over the doorstep it gets a trim.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Fifteen
Enhalus acoroides, Tape Seagrass, is a sea grass, not a seaweed and not algae, but a grass that grows in tidal saltwater. The chestnut tasting seeds are eatenΒ Only Plant In Its GenusEleiodoxa packed, Kelubi, is a Southeastern Asia palm that dies upon reaching maturty. The heart is edible and the fruit is pickled or used as a substitute for tamarind or made into sweets.Β Only Plant In Its GenusBulbous erigenia, Harbinger of Spring. The small root is edible raw.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Harbinger of Spring
Floerkea proserpinacoides, False Mermaid. The spicy plant above ground is eaten raw.
Only Plant In Its Genus
False Mermaid
Daucus carota; fennel. I can’t cook without fennel.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Fennel
Ginkgo biloba. I first saw them in Japan and later outside Bailey Hall at the (then) University of Maine campus, Gorham, Maine. Now there’s one not a quarter of a mile away from me here in Florida. To read more about the ginkgo click here.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Ginkgo
Glaux maritima, Sea Milkwort. Young shoots edible raw, leaves and stems pickled.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Sea Milkwort
Hablitzia tamnoides, Spinach Vine, Caucasian Vine, related to Chenopodiums, shoots and leaves are edible, raw or cooked.Β Only Plant In Its GenusHesperocallis undulata, Desert Lily. Large tubers are edible but grow deep in difficult soil.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Desert Lily
Heteromeles arbutifolia, Toyon. Bitter fruit edible, should be cooked, roasting works. Can be dried and ground into a meal, also mashed, mixed with honey and water to ferment into cider. Leaves toxic.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Toyon
Hippuris vulgaris, Marestail. Tips can be boiled.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Marestail
Honckenya peploides, Sandwort, Sea Chickweed. Whole plant edible raw or cooked. Is not a good flavor. Can be fermented like sauerkraut. Berries eaten with fat.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Sandwort
Hydrilla verticillata poses a bit of a mystery. You can buy it in health food stores powdered but there are no ethnobotanical uses to guide us on how to prepare it. Suggestions welcomed.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Hydrilla
Isomeris arborea, Bladderpod. Pods edible after cooking.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Bladderpod
Levisticum officinale, Lovage, an herb garden staple.Β 
Only Plant In Its Genus
Lovage
Limonia acidissima;Wood-Apple, is a native of Southeast Asia particulary in the India area. The pulp is eaten out of hand, made into drinks, or jam.Β Only Plant In Its GenusMadura trees the Osage-Orange, almost universally reported as not edible. A native to central North America the seed kernels are edible raw or roasted.
Only Plant In Its Genus

Osage-Orange

Medeola virginiana, Indian Cucumber, a well-known edible in the eastern half of North America.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Indian Cucumber
Modiola caroliniana, Carolina Bristlemallow survives locally by growing low in lawns. Resembles flat leaf parsley. To read more click here.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Carolina Bristlemallow
Muntingia calabura, Jamaican Cherry though it is a native of southern Mexico. Fruit is eaten out of hand, sweet juicy, use to make jellies, jam, tarts, pies and added to cold cereal as as other fruit is. Yellow and red forms, very hight in vitamin C, leaves are used to make a tea.Only Plant In Its GenusMyrrh scented Sweet Cicely, leaves raw in salads, added to soups and stews, garnish for fish dishes or brewed into tea. Used in candy making. Roots eaten after boiling, served with oil or candied, seeds used as a spice and to favor chartreuse.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Sweet Cicely
Nandina domestica, Nandina. Barely edible, leaves cooked many times and seedless fruit pulp useable. To read more click here.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Nandina
Nemopanthus nmcronatus, Mountain Holly, fruit eaten by Indians.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Mountain Holly
Neogomesia agavioides, red fruit edible but very rare.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Neogomesia agavioides
Pinch frutescens is an Asiatic palm tree with edible fruit called Nipa. In the Philippines the sap is to make sugar, alcohol, and vinegar. It’s flowers are boiled to make a sweet syrup. Unripe seeds are eaten raw and used to flavor ice cream. The fronds are used for thatching.Only Plant In Its GenusObregonia denegrii, white fruit edible.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Obregonia of denial
Onoclea sensitive, Sensitive Fern, rhizome eaten by Indians, young shoots of a variation called interrupta boiled as a green.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Sensitive Fern
Orontium aquaticum, Golden Club. Roots dried and ground into flour, seeds dried and boiled in several changes of water until paltable, same with flowers.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Golden club
Osmaronia cerasiformis, Oso Berry. Fruit edible raw, bitter, cooking improves flavor.
Only Plant In Its Genus.
Oso Berry
Oxydendrum arboreum, Sourwood. Young, tender leaves edible raw.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Sourwood
Peltiphyllum peltatum, Indian rhubarb. Peeled leafstalk edible raw or cooked.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Indian rhubarb
Peraphyllum ramosissimum, Squaw Apple. The bitter ripe fruit is edible.
Only Plant In Its Genus

Squaw Apple

Perilla frutescens, Perilla, oneΒ  species, three varities, wildly used in Asian cooking.
Only Plant In Its Genus

Knob

Peumus Boldii Boldo, is native to Chile. Its leaves are used similar to a bay leaf for flavoring although the flavor is different than a bay leaf. Boldo’s small, green fruit is also edible. The flavor is similar to epazote. The leaves also make an herbal tea which is sold commercially.
Only Plant In Its Genus

Boldo

Pholisma arenarium, endangered. The root is edible.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Pholisma arenarium
Rigid piloblephis, Florida Pennyroyal. Very intense, found in scrub land, to read more click here.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Florida Pennyroyal
Platycodon grandifolus, Balloon Flower, roots, leaves and blossom edible raw.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Balloon Flower
Platystemon californicus, Cream Cups, Leaves were cooked by Indians.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Cream Cups
Pteridium aquilinum, Bracken Fern, to read more click here.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Bracken Fern
Ravenala madagascariensis, Traveler’s Palm, bright metalic seeds are quite edible. To read more click here.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Traveler’s Palm
Sclerocactus mesae-verdae, federally endangered and protected, fruit eaten by Indians.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Sclerocactus mesae-verdae
Serenoa repens, Saw Palmetto. The infamous…. the fruit tastes like rotten cheese soaked in tobaccon juice, and $70 million business in Florida. To read more, click here.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Saw Palmetto
Stangeria eriopus. Books a century old or older say the Cycad seeds are edible after cooking. I would be wary. It is a toxic family.I would have a picture here but my program absolutely will not allow it.Tamarindus indica, the tamarin, a spice that works is way into your kitchen.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Tamarin
Umbellularia californica, California Laurel, Oregon Myrtle, root bak makes a tea, leaves used like a bay leaf. Nut is edible raw or roasted, its spicy envelope is also edible.
Only Plant In Its Genus
Umbellularia californica

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Anna Evans

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