Sagittaria cuneata - Wapato

Family:	Alismataceae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	0.6
Synonyms:	S. arifolia.
Range:	N. America - Nova Scotia to British Columbia, south to Connecticut, Kansas, and California.

Sagittaria cuneata (Wapato) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 0.6m . It has a hardness rating of 6.
Wapato will flower in January to February. The flowers from this plant are monoecious (both sexes are found on the plant but each flower is either male or female) and they are pollinated by

Soil Information

Wapato will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is not necessary for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Wapato prefers soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Wapato should not be planted in shady areas.

Calcareous or muddy shores and shallow water[43].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Is a pond plant
• A bog garden plant

Cultivation Details

A pond or bog garden plant, it requires a moist or wet loamy soil in a sunny position[1, 200]. Succeeds in shallow, still or slowly flowing water. Plants are usually monoecious but dioecious forms are sometimes found[43]. A very polymorphic species[43]. In mud or shallow water the leaves are broad, but in deep water the plant only produces long slender leafstalks[212]. This plant has potential for commercial cultivation as a root crop[212].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 4/5
Root - raw or cooked[257]. Slightly bitter raw[212], the roasted tubers are sweet-tasting[159, 161]. Those tubers found at the end of the rootstock are the best[159]. When broken off from the roots the tubers rise to the water surface and are then easily gathered[212].

• Root - includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 1/5
The plant has been used to treat headaches[257]. The corms have been eaten as a treatment for indigestion[257].

• Analgesic - Relieves pain.
• Stomachic - Aids and improves the action of the stomach.

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a pot standing in about 5cm of water. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle, and gradually increase the depth of water as the plants grow until it is about 5cm above the top of the pot. Plant out in late spring or early summer of the following year. Division of the tubers in spring or autumn. Easy. Runners potted up at any time in the growing season.

Known Hazards

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

Gray's Manual of Botany.
Fernald. M. L.
Author: Fernald. M. L.
Rating:
Publisher : A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.
Date of Publication : 1950

The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Huxley. A.
Author: Huxley. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Date of Publication : 1992

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