On 04/08/2014 09:20, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Jeff Layman wrote:

On an unrelated matter, some time back you asked for suggestions for
exotic veg. I just came across this page.
http://www.jungleseeds.co.uk/content...ollection.html

You may have seen it, but if not maybe there is something of interest
for you.

Thanks again. It's interesting, but deceptive. I have grown
some of those, failed with others and know enough not to bother
with yet others. Here are some examples:

Acmella oleracea - "an extremely strong tingling or numbing
sensation"? Watch out! That's a sign of a neurotoxin and,
without further evidence, more than very occasional use might
be seriously harmful. The same applies to any plant grown for
its medicinal benefits.

Reminds me of a pharmacognosy practical I did as part of a pharmacy
degree. We were asked to try one of the diagnostic tests for aconite
root - touch it on the tip of the tongue! I can still remember the
tingling and numbness that lasted several minutes. I wonder what
Elf'n'Safety would have to say about that today...

Feijoa sellowiana - I didn't know that it wasn't self-fertile,
but I doubt that you would get much fruit, anyway. Mine is
flowering now - the flowers are edible and, unusually, sweet.

I grew this in Sussex and it flowered regularly. Then one year it
produced around a kilo of fruit. These had a rather strange flavour, but
did make some very interesting chutney. It never fruited again (only
once in a dozen years). I'm now growing another one in south Hampshire,
and will be interested to see if that ever sets fruit, although it's
still too young to flower at less than a metre high. It seems to depend
on the strain as to how self-fertile it is
(http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/feijoa.html).

--

Jeff