Native Plants
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Sunday - December 18, 2011
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Plant Identification, Edible Plants
Title: Ground cover plant that tastes like cucumbers
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
It is a native ground cover plant that is edible and tastes like cucumbers. Found in the Edwards Plateau. What is the name?ANSWER:
I think most probably you are talking about Parietaria pensylvanica (Pennsylvania cucumber plant). You can see its distribution in Texas on the USDA Plants Database map. Here is more information and photos from Southwest Environmental Information Network and still more photos. Delena Tull in Edible and Useful Plants of Texas and the Southwest says:
"Try a nibble of the small leaves and juicy stems of Parietaria. Though not related to the cucumber, the flavor of this tiny herb comes close to that of the garden cucumber. The herb provides a refreshing addition to salads."
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