Saururaceae

Lizardtail Family

Yerba Mansa

FAMILY: Lizardtail family (Saururaceae) – Anemopsis genus.

SPECIES: Yerba mansa (Anemopsis californica (Nutt.) Hook. & Arn.).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: Seeds of yerba mansa are edible, and Native Americans prepared the roots (true roots and rhizomes) for a variety of medicinal purposes. All these parts were sampled for this reference, but only the seeds are edible.

Rhizomes of yerba mansa (most of the following notes also apply to the true roots) are pink with brown skins and pleasantly fragrant. The texture is firm yet cutable, or about the same as a tough carrot. Yerba mansa rhizomes have a complex aroma combining clean, flowery, marshy, and insecticide-like elements. It’s somewhat like geraniums, mints, and citronella. Natural springs with an ample supply of yerba mansa are characterized by this distinctive aroma. No starchy elements are apparent in the fresh aroma. Thorough boiling, about 2-3 hours, is required to soften the rhizomes and dissipate the fragrance. Cooked rhizomes taste reminiscent of something in the mint family combined with bistort and a character unique to yerba mansa. It’s a rather strong flavor, but it’s not excessively unappealing. Starchy qualities are minimal, and acrid overtones align with the spicy-coolness of peppermint. Tea made from the rhizomes was traditionally used as a blood purifier, pain reliever, and laxative. It was also used to relieve colds, wash wounds, treat lung problems (asthma and pleurisy), and moderate other health issues. Sipping the tea causes a numbing sensation on the tongue. This sensation is too weak to effectively relieve pain, but it adds to the intrigue of yerba mansa. Dried pieces of the rhizomes become hard. They don’t make good snack foods, but they might serve as breath fresheners. Yerba mansa rhizomes can be gathered anytime, but they should be considered medicine rather than food.

Seeds of yerba mansa are remarkably easy to gather and process. When eaten raw, they taste mild, hearty, and sparingly minty-evergreen. The flavor is well matched to the aroma of fresh plants. The texture is solid. Toasting gently cracks the seed coats, softens the texture, and brings out a pleasant grain-like flavor. Yerba mansa seeds are free of acrid, bitter, resinous, soapy, and other harsh overtones. They have a good flavor indicative of food. About an hour of boiling is required to soften the seeds, and the results are worth the wait. Yerba mansa seeds make an excellent mush with a starchy quality and faint sweetness. Adding the seeds to soup imparts a copper color. Any cooking method produces good results. Yerba mansa grows in colonies around water sources and provides an abundance of high-quality seeds from late summer to late autumn.

IDENTIFICATION: The Anemopsis genus is represented by 1 species in the United States, with no additional subspecies or varieties. Note that what appears to be a solitary flower is actually a cluster of numerous flowers subtended by 5-9, white, showy, petal-like, involucral bracts. A much smaller white bract subtends each flower.

Description of yerba mansa (Anemopsis californica): FORM perennial plant about 15-50 cm tall emerging from thick rhizomes and growing in colonies; LEAVES simple; primarily basal and a few greatly reduced on the stems; basal leaves long-stalked; blades elliptic-oblong, 5-19 cm long; margins entire; surfaces hairy; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary superior, and arranged in terminal cone-shaped spikes; involucral bracts 5-9, showy, white, and petal-like; sepals 0; petals 0; pistils of 3-4 carpels; styles 3-4; stamens 6-8; FRUITS capsules fleshy, filled with 1 to several seeds, and splitting open at the tips; HABITAT springs, marshes, and other wet areas; from the Great Plains to the Pacific Coast; tolerant of alkali; blooming March to September.

REFERENCES: Yerba mansa (Anemopsis californica): seeds Ebeling (p. 403), Gifford (p. 24), Moerman (p. 48), and Vizgirdas (p. 109). References to medicinal qualities include: Rhode (pp. 114-115).