Gentianaceae

Gentian Family

Elkweed

FAMILY: Gentian family (Gentianaceae) – Frasera genus.

SPECIES: Elkweed, monument plant, or green gentian (Frasera speciosa Douglas ex Griseb. = Swertia radiata (Kellogg) Kuntze).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: Elkweed roots are reported to be edible, but rendering them palatable may not be possible. Other parts are inedible. Elkweed roots have a flavor that’s hard to forget, and the memory won’t be a pleasant one! The flavor is truly awful, and apparently no method of preparation will solve this problem. Traditionally, the roots were baked overnight in fire pits. Elkweed roots promptly ruin anything they’re cooked with. Adding them directly to soups or stews would be a major culinary misjudgment. Spices, seasonings, and condiments won’t help. Twenty minutes of boiling softens the texture and produces yellow wastewater similar to gentian root tea. The two plants are closely related. Elkweed roots are white with dark-brown skins. They easily reach the size of commercially grown carrots. The texture is also similar to carrots. The aroma is difficult to describe, but it fails to recall any memories of food! Young plants appear as rosettes and immediately begin the task of collecting energy. Roots are best gathered when the plants are young. Rosettes are easily spotted among mature plants. Elkweed grows tall, stands as a monument, and then dies shortly after producing seeds. Overall, elkweed ranks among the worst-tasting wild foods.

IDENTIFICATION: The Frasera genus is represented by 10-15 species in the United States. Excluding California, only a few species are likely to be encountered in arid regions. The Frasera and Swertia genera are essentially synonymous. Clearly visible fringed nectary pits on the corolla lobes distinguish Frasera from other genera in the gentian family. Elkweed is distinguished from other species by its deeply 4-lobed light greenish-yellow flowers with each purple-spotted lobe bearing 2 fringed nectary glands at the base. Other species only have 1 nectary gland on each lobe. Elkweed is common in cool mountain meadows.

Description of elkweed (Frasera speciosa): FORM robust, upright, perennial plant about 70-220 cm tall from a taproot; stems unbranched; LEAVES simple; basal and whorled; sessile; blades ob/lanceolate and reduced upwards; margins entire; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary superior, and arranged in axillary clusters; calyces deeply 4-lobed; corollas deeply 4-lobed, often free nearly to the bases, light greenish-yellow with purple spots; each lobe with 2 nectary glands appearing as fringed spots; pistils 1; styles 1; stamens 4; FRUITS capsules 2-valved; SEEDS usually winged; HABITAT mountain meadows; almost throughout the West; blooming June to August.

REFERENCES: Elkweed (Frasera speciosa): roots Couplan (p. 344).