Black Bryony / Bljušt / Kukača

Description:

It is a perennial climber growing to 3.5 m at a medium rate.It is in flower from May to July and the seeds ripen from September to November. The flowers are dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required) and are pollinated by Bees, flies. The plant is not self-fertile.

Habitat:

It is widely spread through Europe, south and east from Britain and Belgium to North Africa, Hungary, East Mediterranean, West Asia. Prefers: hedgerows, scrub, woodland edges and copses, avoiding acid soils.

Notes:

Young sprouts (as the one shown on the photos) are edible. It is an asparagus substitute, but has a decidedly bitter flavoure and it is better if the water is changed whilst cooking. However, whole adult plant is poisonous due to its saponin content. Although toxic, saponins are very poorly absorbed by the body and so tend to pass through without causing harm. They are also broken down by thorough cooking. Saponins are found in many plants, including several that are often used for food, such as certain beans. It is advisable not to eat large quantities of food that contain saponins. Saponins are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc. in order to stupefy or kill the fish. The toxic effect of this plant is not caused by saponins, but by calcium oxalate crystals which are found mainly in the fruit.