# Indian Cucumber Root



## Cotton (Oct 12, 2013)

Indian cucumber root, Medeola virginiana is coming up right now. By summer it will be approximately 3ft tall with the “whorl” of 5 leaves about half way up the stalk. I have lots of it down in the bottoms near the creek. It’s common in eastern US and Canadian woodlands near water. It has a long history with many Native American cultures as an edible.

I like the roots sliced on a salad raw. It does have a “cucumber like” flavor. The roots are small, pencil diameter, 2 or 3 inches long.


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## Freyadog (Jan 27, 2010)

From pic it looks to me lik poison ivy, doesn't it?

Have never foraged this land and would very afraid of what I think is one thing and it be something else all together. No one around here that I have found can take us out and show. What to eat and whatnot to eat.

Interesting though for people to know. What to pick and what not to.


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## Cotton (Oct 12, 2013)

Freyadog said:


> Have never foraged this land and would very afraid of what I think is one thing and it be something else all together. No one around here that I have found can take us out and show. What to eat and whatnot to eat.
> 
> Interesting though for people to know. What to pick and what not to.


I didn't have anyone to teach in the beginning. The first couple of years learning was slow until I "learned how to learn". Stop and talk to people, almost everyone knows something. Find a park ranger etc.

_*From pic it looks to me lik poison ivy, doesn't it?*_

Not to me, poison ivy has 3 leaves in a whorl (leaves of 3 let it be). Poison ivy is a vine. Indian cucumber is a weed with 5 leaves. Here is poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) taken this morning.


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## Cotton (Oct 12, 2013)

There is a 5 leafed vine that is often mistaken for poison ivy, Parthenocissus quinquefolia - Virginia Creeper. It can cause contact dermatitis in some people, especially in the fall of the year but it does not contain the oil urushiol. Ironically virginia creeper has been used to treat poison ivy in the past. It is very astringent (drying).

To me this plant looks nothing like poison ivy or Indian cucumber. It does have 5 leaves but the leaf margins are toothed where as Indian cucumber's are smooth.


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## Freyadog (Jan 27, 2010)

Ooohhhhhhh! Gonna print these pics out and do some hunting this spring if it ever quits raining. 

People as far as help here live and eat out of cardboard boxes and frozen section of super market. Their ignorance just floors me.

Thank you for your help.


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