Orychophragmus violaceus seed
LATIN NAME: Orychophragmus violaceus
COMMON NAME: February Orchid, Violet Cress
February orchid is a flower of early spring that paints whole fields pale violet, and it is one of the most generous plants you can grow. It is a low, branching annual or biennial that forms loose mounds of soft green leaves, and in early spring, often while the last frost is still about, it covers itself in clouds of small, four-petalled flowers in delicate shades of violet, lilac and purple. The flowers are simple and cheerful, and they appear so early that they feed some of the first bees of the year. By late spring the flowers give way to slender pods of small, round, oil-rich seeds.
February orchid belongs to the cabbage family, Brassicaceae, and it is native to China, where it grows as a wildflower of roadsides, fields and waste ground. It is a tough, fast-growing plant that thrives in almost any soil, and in China it is known both as an ornamental and as a useful oil and vegetable crop.
Positive & Encouraging Seed Germination Guide
February orchid is very easy to grow from seed and gives quick, reliable results. The small seeds germinate readily in cool, moist soil, usually within one to three weeks. Sow them in early spring, either in rows or scattered over a prepared bed, and cover them very lightly. Keep the ground moist until the seedlings are established, and the plants will grow fast, often flowering within a couple of months of sowing, or the following spring if sown late. They are hardy, tolerant of poor soil and happy in sun or light shade, so they need little attention. A scattering of seeds will give you a drift of pale violet flowers that returns and self-seeds year after year.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
February orchid is a rising subject of agricultural research. Its seeds contain a good quantity of oil, and researchers in China have studied the plant as a promising source of oil for cooking and industry, examining its oil content, its fatty-acid profile and its potential as a new oil crop. The young shoots and leaves are also eaten as a green vegetable, and scientists have studied their nutritional value and food safety. In agriculture, the plant is grown as a green manure and cover crop, helping to improve soil between main crops, and it has been studied for its value in sustainable farming. For a plant that many people know only as a pretty spring flower, February orchid has a practical and growing record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, February orchid is a benefactor. Its very early flowers feed bees and other pollinators when little else is in bloom, and it covers bare ground quickly, protecting soil from erosion and providing cover for insects and small wildlife.
Its economic value is varied and growing. The seeds are pressed for a high-quality oil, the young shoots are eaten as a green vegetable in China, and the plant is used as a green manure and cover crop in agriculture. As an ornamental, it is also a charming spring flower for gardens and wildflower areas. For a grower, February orchid is a hardy, multi-purpose crop, and for a gardener it is one of the easiest ways to feed the early bees and fill the garden with spring colour.
Orychophragmus violaceus is a very valuable seed source of wild oil crops.The studied pres-ence on its agricultural properties,oil content of seed,amino acid content of scape and edible secu-rity, etc. were summarized in this paper.Furthermore,the suggestions for developing Orychophragmus violaceus s series products,i.e.,healthy cooking oil,fresh dewatering scape,nu-trient vegetable juice drink and feed additive etc. were put forward.