Unusual and Bizarre Plants - Cynomorium coccineum

Arid environments are challenges to survival, so I am not surprised to find that a number of unusual parasitic plants make their home there. Like Hydnora, which I covered in a previous article, Cynomorium grows in the desert environment, has no leaves, and is parasitic on other desert plants. Cynomorium coccineum has Atriplex (saltbush) as host, while the other species, Cynomorium songaricum, uses Nitraria. The hosts all have salt tolerance in common. Since desert plants often have deep-ranging root systems, the connection between the parasitic plant and the host is found only with much digging.

The visible part of this plant is the inflorescence, composed of many small flowers on a six to twelve inch tall club-like spike (see thumbnail image above, right). Were you to try digging one of these inflorescences up, you'd have to dig down a number of feet, and then you'd find the attachment where the parasite and host meet.

When is a mushroom not a fungus?

In the 16th century, the European common name for C. coccineum was "Maltese mushroom", which is interesting because this plant is not a fungus nor is it even remotely related to fungi. At that time Cynomorium was found growing abundantly in a location on Malta by the Crusaders, who had learned of this plant from the Muslims. This site became known as Fungus Rock and it was guarded vigorously due to the medicinal value of the plant. They even went so far as to render the sides of the limestone rock smooth so as to prevent interlopers from scaling it to obtain the plants. At that time, access to the top of the rock, where the plants were found, was via a precarious cable-car like contraption. Trespassers and thieves caught stealing the plant were subject to serious penalties, such as prison, galley slavery and death.

The Arabs knew Cynomorium as "tarthuth" and considered it to be the "treasure of drugs" because of the numerous traditional therapeutic uses for it. The flowering stalks were considered to be a remedy for blood problems, sexual difficulties and other ailments. As modern medicine became more prevalent in the world, doubts arose as to whether any real medicinal value resided in these plants. Now research has indicated that Cynomorium does indeed possess medically active factors, and their effects are generally what the Middle Eastern herbalists used the plant for so many years ago.

The usage of Cynomorium is not limited to the Middle East, however. The Chinese people use their species of this plant as an herbal remedy as well. This East Asian species, Cynomorium songaricum, is known as suoyang, which means "locking the yang". This translates to treatment for impotence and backache. Suoyang grows at high altitudes, and the Chinese also used it as a "famine food" when regular foods were not available.

Good Enough to Eat

As useful as this plant may be as an herbal remedy, the inflorescences are actually edible as food and are said to taste somewhat like apples. The way they are eaten is to peel the "skin" off with a knife, thus removing all the little flowers, and then to eat the white inner flesh. Some people, especially nomadic herders, still use this plant as a snack or food item during the time of year when it is available. The blooming of this plant usually follows the rains of winter, so they are not available year round.

An article detailing a fascinating account of the history surrounding Cynomorium coccineum can be read at The Treasure of Tarthuth.

For an example of the medicinal uses of Cynomorium songaricum, go to MDidea.com.

Image credit: Bahrainian postage stamp image