Abstract
The Iridaceae includes a number of geophytes with apparently edible rootstocks. This is particularly true of the tropical species of Lapeirousia, the corms of four of which are reported to be eaten raw: Lapeirousia bainesii, found in semi-arid portions of the southern summer-rain climate region, locally common in sandy soil; Lapeirousia coerulea, primarily central and northern Namibia (summer-rain), seasonally damp locations, locally common; Lapeirousia erythrantha, primarily the northeastern portion of the southern summer-rain climate region with outliers in northern (summer-rain) Nigeria, sometimes found in large masses; Lapeirousia schimperi,primarily central portions of the southern summer-rain climate region with disjunct populations in eastern Africa, including west central Sudan, found in seasonally damp locations, locally common. Ferraria glutinosa: warning, corms said to be eaten raw, but also reported to be a hallucinogen and poisonous.
Résumé
Les Iridaceae comprennent un certain nombre de géophytes avec des rhizomes apparemment comestibles. C’est notamment le cas des espèces tropicales de Lapeirousia, dont les rhizomes de quatre d’entre elles sont signalés comme étant consommés crus: Lapeirousia bainesii, que l’on trouve dans les zones semi-arides de la région climatique méridionale à pluviosité estivale, commun par endroits sur sol sableux; Lapeirousia coerulea, principalement dans le centre et le nord de la Namibie (pluviosité estivale), dans des endroits périodiquement gorgés d’eau, commun par endroits; Lapeirousia erythrantha, principalement dans la partie nord-est de la région climatique méridionale à pluviosité estivale, avec une aire isolée dans le nord du Nigeria (pluviosité estivale), parfois trouvé en grands peuplements; Lapeirousia schimperi, principalement dans la partie centrale de la région climatique méridionale à pluviosité estivale, avec des populations isolées en Afrique orientale, y compris le centre-ouest du Soudan, dans des endroits périodiquement gorgés d’eau, commun par endroits. Attention au Ferraria glutinosa; ses rhizomes seraient consommés crus, mais on signale aussi qu’ils seraient hallucinognes et vénéneux.
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Peters, C.R. (1996). African wild plants with rootstocks reported to be eaten raw: the Monocotyledons, part III. In: van der Maesen, L.J.G., van der Burgt, X.M., van Medenbach de Rooy, J.M. (eds) The Biodiversity of African Plants. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0285-5_82
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