Cynomorium coccineum
Uses
Middle East: an emergency food cited in the Bible (Job 30:4). The parasitic scarlet plant attaches itself to the roots of saltwort (Atriplex sp.). The host plants – probably Atriplex dimorphostegia, Kar. & Kir.; Atriplex halimus, L.; Atriplex rosea, L.; and Atriplex tatarica, L. – were also gathered and eaten for their soft, mucilaginous leaves.
Common Names: Maltese fungus or Maltese mushroom; also Desert thumb, ed thumb, Tarthuth (Bedouin) and suoyang (Chinese).
Botanical Family: Cynomoriaceae.
Distribution: Cynomorium coccineum is found in Mediterranean regions, from Lanzarote in the
Canary Islands andAfghanistan Mauritania through Tunisia and Bahrain in the south; Spain, Portugal, southern Italy, Sardinia, Sicily, Gozo, Malta and the Eastern Mediterranean.[14] Its range extends as far east as , Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Underground stems dug up and reportedly eaten as famine food, in the Canary Islands; however, extensive research, by the compiler, was unable to verify this latter statement.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynomorium
Thorgood, Christopher. 2022. Chasing Plants
Journeys with a Botanist through Rainforests, Swamps, and Mountains
Chicago: University of Chicago Press
Additional Information
- Name Authority:
- Descourt.