Streptopus amplexifolius

Streptopus amplexifolius

Streptopus amplexifolius is quite a mouthful, but it is a fairly close translation into Greek of the common name for this plant, which is known as Twisted-Stalk, or sometimes clasp-leaved twisted-stalk. The genus name comes from the Greek "streptos" meaning twisted, and "pous" meaning foot. It refers the the 90 degree angle in the stalk of the flower or fruit of this plant. "Amplexus" means clasped, and "folius" means leaf, so "amplexifolius" literally means clasp-leaf. It may be that the scientific name encourages the less used common name in this case. But that's enough etymology.

Note the 90⁰ angle in the
stalks of the flower/fruit

Twisted-stalk is a member of the Lily family, and it has a superficial resemblance to False Solomons Seal (Smilacina racemosa) because the leaves come off the stem on opposite sides as the stem bends slightly from side to side. Twisted-stalk leaves are are closer to being on a single plane than False Solomons Seal, but the main distinguishing feature is that False Solomons Seal flowers and fruit are in a cluster at the end of the stalk, while Twisted-stalk flowers and fruit are hidden singly underneath each leaf. It has a much closer resemblance to Fairybells (Prosartes trachycarpa). Fairybells are not as tall, and the leaves are slightly more rounded, but the main difference is that when you look under the leaves, the stalks of the flower or fruit do not have the 90 degree angle found in Twisted-stalk.

I usually find Twisted-stalk growing on the banks of small mountain streams. It loves having lots of water. (Fairybells does not need so much water. I usually find them in shady pine forests.) Small waterfalls where lots of water gets splashed about is a great environment for it. And sometimes it can be found on wet slopes which are kept damp with plenty of seepage. But I seldom see it in flat swampy or stagnant areas. It loves swiftly running streams, not bogs.

The flowers hang down from that 90 degree angle, and are typical white, six-petaled lily flowers. The fruit, when ripe, is red and oval shaped. The taste of the ripe fruit is soft and slimy. I have not tested it, but the ripe fruit is reputed to be mildly laxative when eaten in large quantities. This is one of those plants where I much prefer the taste of the unripe fruit, when it is still green. The unripe fruit is sweetish, crunchy, and has soft seeds. The taste is not entirely unlike cucumber. Another very good tasting part of the plant is the stem. On the lower stem, the outside is very fibrous, but after that is pealed away, the inner part of the stem is crunchy and sweet, and tastes like cross between cucumber and celery. Early settlers sometimes called this a cucumber plant because of the taste. The upper stems are still tender enough to be eaten without being peeled. And the leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. When raw, they are a little tough, and not as sweet. The taste is like cucumber with a little bit of onion mixed in. Boiling the leaves for 3-5 minutes makes them more tender and milder in flavor. I definitely prefer the boiled leaves over the raw ones. Use the leaves on the upper stems. The larger leaves from where the stem branches and downward do not seem to tenderize much when boiled.

Because nearly the entire above ground part of the plant can be eaten (minus the outer skin of the lower stems), this plant can provide a good amount of food, and the taste is pleasantly cucumberish either raw or cooked. This local abundance is unfortunately offset by the plant preferring to grow only under specific conditions, mainly on the banks of running streams, so it is not extremely abundant everywhere. If you are taking the whole plant, remember to harvest only small amounts, and only where you find a good healthy population. But sampling a few of the green fruit is a nice snack whenever you find it in the right condition.

Prosartes trachycarpa

Prosartes trachycarpa

Fairybells are a shade-loving member of the lily family, with large leaves growing on alternate sides of the stem in a flat plane so as to make as large of surface area as possible to catch the shady light. The flowers and fruit hang down under the leaves (like bells) where they are often hidden until you lift up the branch to find them. (I pulled the fruit up above the leaf to get the picture on the right.) It has largish three-lobed berries which are red when ripe. The latin name is either Prosartes trachycarpa or Disporum trachycarpum, depending on who you ask and when a source was published. The skin of the berries is thick and has a rough texture, which is one way it is distinguished from other species of Prosartes or Fairybells, by calling it Rough-fruited Fairybells.

The berries are edible. When ripe they are mildly sweet and filled with slightly slimy juice, but the taste is rather bland and they are full of hard seeds and the skin has a rough, almost leathery texture. They taste somewhat better when they are still green and unripe. They have a taste similar to cucumber, the berries are firmer and less slimy, and the seeds are softer and chewable, but the skin still has the rough texture. The stems are woody and the leaves are tough, so the berries are the only part worth eating.

The Blackfoot Indians have an interesting use for this plant, to clear foreign objects from an eye. [Moerman, Native American Ethnobotany, p. 202] A fresh seed is put in the eye and the eyelid closed. Then one rubs the eye until the seed comes out with the object sticking to it. I have not tried this myself, but I can understand how the slightly slimy juice would catch onto an object without irritating the eyeball, which is why it is important to use a seed fresh from the fruit.

Fairybells are a fairly close relative of Twisted-Stalk (Streptopus amplexifolius) which it resembles in many ways, and especially in the leaf structure. Twisted-Stalk is taller and likes very wet areas, being typically found next to small streams, while Fairybells are happy in any shady damp area. The flowers and fruit are a good way to distinguish them, because Twisted-Stalk has one flower or fruit growing from the axis of each leaf, the fruit is ovoid (not lobed), and the stalk of the flower or fruit has a 90 degree angle in the middle. Fairybells have the flower or fruit growing at the end of the branch in small cluster of 2 or 3. Twisted-Stalk also has much greater value as a food plant.