parsley-flavoured groundcover for ID

[John Proctor]

This was received from a Swedish gardening friend as a Swedish groundcover that is clipped and eaten there as a substitute for parsley, which is exactly what the succulent leaves taste like. It is vigorous and spreading in good soil. My friend has never seen it in flower. What might appear as white in the leaves is reflection. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what this might be?

The adjacent plant in the blue pot is a Daphne alpina seedling.

Thanks.
John

[Gerdk]

Looks like Hydrocotyle perhaps novae-zeelandiae ,
never tried to taste it.

Gerd

[Ed Alverson]

The plant looks very much to me like an annual Geranium, particularly Geranium lucidum.  I have developed an eye for this species because it has become an extremely pernicious weed in some of our most sensitive native habitats here in western Oregon.  If this does begin to produce small Geranium flowers in the spring, I would suggest that you immediately place the plants in the trash! (that is, assuming it is not a native species where you live....)

Ed

[Ed Alverson]

By the way, I do have a few recent photos of Geranium lucidum from wild invasive populations in Oregon - they look pretty similar to John's photos to me.  I haven't tasted it, but I'll do so next time I have a chance.  I've never heard of a Geranium tasting like parsley though.

Ed

[Stephenb]

I also thought it looked like G. lucidum when I first saw it (this is a weed in my garden too). However, the Swedish friend also said he'd never seen it flower and G. lucidum flowers profusely. That's assuming you didn't get a weed lurking in the Hydrocotyle...

However,  it also certainly looks and sounds like a Hydrocotyle spp. (Pennywort). Both by its appearance, the fact that it tastes like parsley (I think Hydrocotyle is in the Umbelliferae - at least, it used to be) and its edibility. According to the bible (of edible plants) - Cornucopia II - Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides (from East Asia) has "the odor of parsley, is eaten raw, steamed as a potherb, or cooked with chilis and other spices." There's also a good ornamental H. sibthorpoides "Crystal Confetti" too with variegated leaves.

The British native Hydrocotyle vulgaris (Marsh Pennywort) can also be used in a similar way (although the on-line Plants for a Future, PFAF, database gives them the lowest edibility rating). Richard Mabey’s Flora Britannica doesn’t record this plant’s edibility, so it doesn’t seem to have been much used, at least not in the recent past.

If this is indeed Hydrocotyle, I think your friend (and potentially you)  is on to a good thing as another species, Hydrocotyle asiatica (syn. Centella asiatica) is known as the "long-life plant", as a certain Professor Yon regularly drank tea of this plant and reputedly lived 265 years and married 24 times (fancy trading a cutting??).

I have been interested and collected unusual botanical edibles for many years, but have never come across anyone eating Hydrocotyle. Therefore, I am intrigued to learn more from your friend. Could you ask where he heard that this plant was edible? Is it growing happily outside? I guess from your message that your friend doesn’t know the name of the plant (not even in Swedish?). Alternatively, I could contact him myself (I understand Swedish too)! I did a quick search of Swedish web sites and came across only one reference to Hydrocotyle being edible – on an aquatic plant site!

[Maggi Young]

I am not sure about this, but doesn't the geranium have concave leaves with hairs on the surface and plain stems , while this parsley flavoured plant seems to have flat or even convex leaves, no hairs visible, and lots of hairs on the stems?  This may be an aid to ID??

[Ed Alverson]

Growth habit may be another good distinguishing feature.  Geranium lucidum is a taprooted annual that germinates in the fall (or perhaps early spring) and dies in early summer after fruits mature.  Hydrocotyle species are perennials with creeping stems.  At least in our species, H. ranunculoides, the leaves arise singly along the stem.

Ed