XBallhead Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum capitatum)X
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Ballhead Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum capitatum), family Hydrophyllaceae (Waterleaf)
From WIKIPEDIA is this on the classification: 'Hydrophylloideae is a subfamily of the Boraginaceae family of flowering plants. Their taxonomic position is somewhat uncertain. Traditionally, and under the Cronquist system, they were given family rank under the name Hydrophyllaceae, and treated as part of the order Solanales. More recent systems have recognised their close relationship to the borage family, Boraginaceae, initially by placing Hydrophyllaceae and Boraginaceae together in an order Boraginales, and most recently by demoting Hydrophyllaceae to a subfamily of Boraginaceae. However the placement and circumscription of Boraginaceae is still uncertain: it is unplaced at order level, and there is some prospect of it being split up again in future.' End quote.
USES: This information is from the site Plant-life.org ' Edible Uses: Young waterleaf shoots and leaves, collected before the flowers appeared, were used by native peoples and settlers as a cooked vegetable. They are best boiled in 1-2 changes of water and served with vinegar. Some tribes boiled or steamed the large and fleshy roots of ballhead waterleaf with the bulbs of yellow glacier lily.' These plants produce fruit but they are not very workable. Small with 2-3 seeds.
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Plant location: We saw this specimen hiking Esmerelda Basin (near Cle Elum Washington) in June of 2007.Plant -
Bloom
season: April to June.Foliage -
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