Madia elegans
Encyclopedia
Madia elegans is a species of flower in the daisy family
. It is generally known as the common madia, but there are several subspecies known by various common names.
, but it is robust and can grow in disturbed areas there.
s which were historically used as food by Native Americans, including the Pomo
and Miwok
, who baked them or ground them into flour
.
The foliage exudes a fragrant oil, hence the common name of tarweed.
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
. It is generally known as the common madia, but there are several subspecies known by various common names.
Range
The Madia elegans plant is native to western North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, but it is robust and can grow in disturbed areas there.
Description
Madia elegans has a showy flower which varies in appearance across subspecies and even within subspecies. In general it is a bright yellow daisy-like bloom with numerous thin ray flowers and several central disk flowers. It may be solid lemon yellow or have a center of a different color, from white to maroon. The strongly scented flower head grows at the end of a slender green stem. The ray flowers curl up during the daytime, opening in the late afternoon and staying open all night until mid morning. Its fruits are acheneAchene
An achene is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate and indehiscent...
s which were historically used as food by Native Americans, including the Pomo
Pomo people
The Pomo people are an indigenous peoples of California. The historic Pomo territory in northern California was large, bordered by the Pacific Coast to the west, extending inland to Clear Lake, and mainly between Cleone and Duncans Point...
and Miwok
Miwok
Miwok can refer to any one of four linguistically related groups of Native Americans, native to Northern California, who spoke one of the Miwokan languages in the Utian family...
, who baked them or ground them into flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
.
The foliage exudes a fragrant oil, hence the common name of tarweed.
Subspecies
- M. e. densifolia - showy tarweed
- M. e. elegans - common madia
- M. e. vernalis - spring madia
- M. e. wheeleri - Wheeler's tarweed
Sources
- C.Michael Hogan ed. 2010. Madia elegans. Encyclopedia of Life
- USDA Plants Profile: Madia elegans