Glehnia littoralis subsp. leiocarpa
Depending on the taxonomic treatment, Glehnia is either monotypic or ditypic (containing one or two species). In the recently-published Jepson Flora, a single species with two subspecies is recognized, while the Flora of China recognizes two species. However it is treated, though, there is agreement that there is a distinction between the taxon that grows along the coast of western USA and Canada (from California to Alaska) and the taxon that grows along the coast of China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Russia.
I presented yesterday on “Plants and Landscapes of Haida Gwaii” to the UBC Friends of the Garden, featuring photographs from my trips in 2013 and 2018. Haida Gwaii is sometimes described as the “Galapagos of the North”, due in part to a number of endemic and rare taxa. Although not globally rare, American glehnia or American silvertop is blue-listed in British Columbia (a taxon of special concern). That said, it is perhaps the most readily found of any “rare plant” on Haida Gwaii–just head to a sandy beach and look in the dunes.
In Jenny Cohen’s 2010 thesis, “Paleoethnobotany of Kilgii Gwaay: a 10,700 year old Ancestral Haida Archaeological Wet Site”, Glehnia littoralis is noted as “not ethnobotanically recorded” (presumably among the Haida Nation, although I’ve not found any references to its use by any other indigenous group in North America). Conversely, both the Flora of China and Wikipedia make mention of Glehnia littoralis being a Chinese herbal remedy for the treatment of coughs.
Additional photos of Glehnia littoralis subsp. leiocarpa are available from CalPhotos, and E-Flora BC has a description of the taxon.
Botanical Art resource link: the works of German artist Uli Westphal. Of particular botanical interest are The Cultivar Series and Fruit Study I.
I enjoyed the photo and reading about the Glehnia, but I was blown away by the work that went into the photos and cultivar lists on those Uli Westphal pages, for instance, 13749 named cultivars of the species Phaseolus vulgaris listed (not photographed). A lot of corn cultivars are photographed. I noticed the Solanum mammosum on the fruit study page – there was just a posting on that on the forums.
This is known in Chinese as “northern sand root” bĕi shā shēn. “Southern sand root” nán shā shēn is Adenophora tetraphylla of the Campanulaceae.
Taking Glehnia root as medicine for the wrong kind of cough may cause a disaster. So don’t try this at home unless you can recognise lack of heat from excess in the organs and dormant cold in the lungs. Info from the Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica by Dan Bensky et al.
What a beautiful photo!
Thank you for featuring this interesting plant, Daniel. Just last week I found out that there are sand dunes nearby (at Deception Pass) so I’m going to look for it.
I’m looking forward to a trip sometime in the near future to Haida Gwaii… I’m getting tired of just flying past on my way South ;>)
You absolutely must!