Tupistra nutans

[CG100]

I bought a dormant tuber at least 4 years ago - an odd-ball plant that appeared to resemble a large Aspidistra in the ad', with an unusual (short-stemmed, edible) inflorescence. In other words, just the sort of weird plant that would attract me.

Grown as a houseplant.

I don't keep records but I am sure that it took around a year to make any growth at all. It has just made a third leaf, amazingly fast, amazingly enough!! Successive leaves have increased in size and, so far, robustness (the first two kinked and folded across their width, the new one shows more promise.........)

Does anyone else grow this and would like to share observations?

[CG100]

Still with just three leaves, it has produced a flowering spike and opened the fisrt flower over a period of about 2 weeks. (Something like 15 flowers on the spike.)
The flowers are around 20-25mm across and extremely intricately marked and well worth the wait (if you like the weird, as I do).

The immature flower spikes are supposedly collected as culinary vegetables in the native range, so I broke off the terminal bud - VERY like the taste of fresh (raw) peas!!  I haven't cooked any to see if the resemblance persists.

A weird and interesting houseplant (it is close to my patio doors so probably sees around 7-10C minimum and the leaves rest again the doors so probably experience lower). Recommended.

I have another on order for delivery next spring, but will get the paintbrush out in case it is self-fertile!!

[David Pilling]

"In India, the entire inflorescence of open flowers and buds makes a delightful slightly bitter curry, which tastes like button mushrooms!"

https://www.plantdelights.com/products/tupistra-nutans

[CG100]

"In India, the entire inflorescence of open flowers and buds makes a delightful slightly bitter curry, which tastes like button mushrooms!"

https://www.plantdelights.com/products/tupistra-nutans

Maybe just a legend?
I ate just one flower bud and it wasn't bitter, actually quite nice. Maybe the curry traditionally has a lot of tamarind??

Available very cheaply as a dormant tuber from Himalayan Gardens (a trading name of J Armand), amongst many other bulbs, tubers and corms at knock-down prices, even compared to the Armand website.