Watermelon Berry / Twistedstalk

Description:

The plant without berries is called Twistedstalk because "The plants leaves completely encircle the stem, and the stems have a kink at each leaf axil giving the plants stem a "twisted" and wiry appearance."

Habitat:

Western Hemlock and Sitka Spruce old growth forest in the Denver Valley. "wisted Stalk is widely distributed across North America. The plant is most often found near shaded stream banks and in moist thickets of the montane and subalpine zones across most of North America. It is also found in similar locations in Europe and Asia."

Notes:

"Twisted Stalk was used as a food plant by Native Americans in Eastern North America and as a medicine. The plant was referred to by early settlers of Eastern and Western North America as "wild cucumber" and as "scoot berries" for the mildly laxative effects of the plants berries if they are eaten in excessive quantities. The tender young shoots of this plant were eaten by Native Americans as a salad green. The entire plant is sweet with a cucumber-like flavor. The berries are reported to be juicy and sweet, with a cucumber-like flavor. The juice of the berries was used as a soothing treatment for burns by American Indians. These berries are listed as poisonous by Pojar and Mackinnon, "Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast." "