false unicorn final article 2012

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Introduction

MARCH 2012

MOUNTAIN HORTICULTURAL CROPS RESEARCH &EXTENSION CENTER,455 RESEARCH DR.M ILLS RIVER, NC 28759

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False Unicorn orFairy Wand

(Chamaelirium luteum)

Botanical Information

False unicorn or fairy wand[Chamaelirium luteum (L.) A. Gray], memberof the Liliaceae family, is native to North America with a natural rangestretching from Florida north to New York and west to the MississippiRiver. Most of the significant wild populations of this plant exist in thesouthern portion of its range. An herbaceous perennial, its leaves form abasal rosette with an emerging flower stalk that bears either a male or fe-male flower spike about two feet tall. Flowering occurs from May toJune. False unicorn likes to grow in moist, acidic soil located in partiallyto fully shaded areas in meadows, thickets, and rich woods. Harvestingof the roots usually occurs in autumn, after flowering is complete, andwhen plants are about four to eight years old.

False unicorn is known by many common names, including: fairy wand,star grub root, devils bit, false unicorn, and blazing star.

Bioactive Componentsvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv The main bioactive components of false unicorn are a mixture of steroidalsaponins, including chamaelirin and aglycone diosgenin. The effects of

these bioactives include acting as an emmenagogue, diuretic, and emetic.

Uses and Treatmentsvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv False unicorn is widely used by North American Indians as a woman'sherb. Traditionally, it was used to prevent miscarriage, treat menstrualproblems, and to improve fertility. In Western herbal medicine, it hasbeen used to treat pregnancy problems and ovarian cysts and used as ananti-inflammatory and diuretic.

Site Selection

False unicorn grows in rich open woods or under the shade of hardwoodtrees or a mix of hardwoods and conifers. It prefers a moist, acidic soil,which drains well. Richo Cech (2002) recommends a soil pH rangingfrom 4.5 to 6, with a high humic content. If planting in a natural woodssetting, he suggests locating the planting beds in a conifer or mixed hard-wood-derived loam, a sandy loam (like in the North Carolina piedmontregion), or bottom land, where leaf mulch does not accumulate. Look fora site where other woodland plants grow such as Solomons seal, ladys

Cultivation Practices

JEANINE DAVIS, EXTENSION HORTICULTURE SPECIALIST ;ALISONDRESSLER,

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

DEPARTMENT OF HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE ,

NC STATE UNI VE RS IT Y

REVISION OF ARTICLE

WRITTENBY JACKIE GREENFIELDAN D JEANINE DAVIS


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FAIRY WAND (CHA MA EL IR IUM LUTEUML.)

slipper orchid, hepatica, or perhaps a native standof false unicorn.

If an open field is used for production, shade struc-tures should be erected. Typically, a wood lath orpolypropylene shade structure is used. For artifi-cial shade, make the structure seven feet tall orhigher with two ends open to the prevailing breeze.

Planting

Propagation is typically done through seed or rootdivision, though large quantities of seed are notreadily available commercially. False unicorn can

be propagated by dividing the rhizomes in earlyspring or in fall. Plants can be started from seed,but the rhizome divisions may allow for a fasterharvestable plant.

The surface of the rhizome is covered with smalleyes that have the ability to produce growth budsand roots. Cech recommends cutting rhizomesinto sections as narrow as one-quarter inch, leav-ing the disk-shaped pieces to callus overnight.Plant in pots, keeping soil moist and pots shaded

until the new plants emerge. In a well-preparedthree-foot wide bed with high organic matter,transplant young plants six to ten inches apart bystaggering the plantings. Top dress beds with alight covering of mulch. Cech recommends pineneedles, bark mulch, or rotted conifer-derived saw-dust. Add mulch as needed throughout the grow-ing season. Plants should be ready to harvest fourto six years after planting.

Germinating false unicorn seed is difficult forsome and easy for others. The seed does need togo through a period of cold then warm stratifica-tion (Baskin et al. 2001). Baskin et al. also foundthat germination of false unicorn seed was muchhigher when seeds were exposed to light. Cechrecommends seeding flats with a high organic soilmix comprised of two parts peat moss, one partdecomposed pine needles, one part perlite, and one-half part sand. In late fall or early winter, gently

sow the newly harvested dried seed approximatelyone-eighth of an inch deep in flats or in preparedoutdoor, shaded seedbeds. When the seedlings

emerge in spring or early summer, Cech suggestsleaving the young seedlings undisturbed for atleast one growing season before transplanting outinto permanent beds.

Pest Control

Weed control is very critical the first few years.This is usually accomplished with mulching andhand-weeding. Currently, there are no herbicidesapproved for use on this plant.

Snails and slugs can be pests to this species undermoist conditions. If they are problem, several con-trol methods can be tried including; beer traps, dia-tomaceous earth and copper strips. Straw mulchcan aggravate the problem if slugs and snails arepresent. Deer have been observed feeding on theflower stalks. Standard deer control methods canbe tried, including fencing or providing an alter-nate food source.

Harvesting, Cleaning, and DryingFalse unicorn is usually harvested in the fall. Thisallows for the seed to be collected before diggingthe roots. Since rhizome pieces are small and gen-erally measure less than three inches in length, dig-ging is easiest with a spading fork or smaller dig-ging tool.

Shake the roots freeof dirt and carefully

remove roots mak-ing sure they arefalse unicorn. It isnot acceptable toinclude foreignroots. Protect fromthe sun and heat; donot allow the rootsto dry out.


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Since fresh roots are susceptible to mold, keepunwashed roots stored in sphagnum moss untilready to process. Check often to ensure the roots

are moist but not wet, and stir the roots to allowfor aeration. When ready for processing, it is rec-ommended to wash false unicorn roots with apressure hose or root washer. Take great care tonot damage the roots as they are cleaned and toremove all particles of dirt.

Once the roots are cleaned, dry the roots in awarm place with ade-quate airflow. Falseunicorn roots are

quite small andshould be driedwhole. If a dryingunit is not available,a dehydrator, con-verted greenhouse, orconverted rooms in abarn are areas thatcan be used for dry-ing. According toCech, Dry for one

day with low temper-ature (700F) and high air flow. Then, turn up thetemperature to 1000F until roots are dried thor-oughly. Once the roots are completely dry, putin cardboard boxes, cloth bags, or polypropylenesacks. Store in a cool, dark, and dry location.Stored like this, false unicorn should keep for twoto three years.

Annual Consumption and Dollar Value

Approximately 6,200 pounds of false unicornwere consumed in 2003. Consumption waned tojust under 5,000 pounds in 2004, and went upagain to 6,000 pounds in 2005. About 80% of theharvest came from wild harvested sources. Thedollar value over these three years was about$218,300 in 2003, $243,600 in 2004, and

$239,000 in 2005. These figures are significantlylower than those reported in the late 1990s andearly 2000, where consumption reached 13,500

pounds and was valued at about $700,000.

Supply and Demand

Demand for false unicorn continues to increase ata slow, but steady rate. Supply of this material isharvested from stagnant to declining wild popula-tions with about 20% of the supply coming fromcultivated sources. The heavy harvests in the late1990s and early 2000s have put strain on the wildpopulations, particularly in the southeastern Unit-

ed States.

A wild harvester can easily collect entire popula-tions in a short period of time. Large harvest vol-umes can only be consistently achieved with theincorporation of cultivated material into the sup-ply channel.

In recent years, there has also been a rising de-mand for false unicorn plant starts as dormantroots or small plants in flats, for those growerswho are attempting to cultivate this plant.

Pricing

From 1995 to 1999, collectors sold false unicornto dealers for about $25 to $35 per dried pound. In2001, prices ranged from $40 to $50 per pound ofdried root and in 2003, reached $45-$65 perpound. At the time of this writing, prices paide togrowers and wild harvesters had fallen back to the$30 to $50 range after reaching a high of $85 per

pound in 2007.

At the time of this writing, false unicorn retailedfor an average of around $200 per pound for $13per ounce of dried root. Wholesale price rangesfrom $95 to $140. Seeds sold for over $200 perounce.

Marketing and Economics


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Distribution Channels

Buyers of false unicorn are widely dispersedthroughout North America and Europe, but suppli-ers are highly concentrated. Current supplies arewild-harvested on a very small-scale throughoutits natural range, particularly in the southeasternUnited States. Experienced brokers and profes-sionals move the material through the supplychain. The market, in terms of pounds, is smallrelative to other botanicals.

Commercial Visibility

This material does not have a great deal of visibil-

ity beyond a small core of botan-ical users and herbalists, but itsvisibility is growing stronger.There are only a few companiesselling dried false unicorn root.Of the top manufacturers and dis-tributors of nutraceuticals/botanicals in North America andEurope, 8% offer this material asa stand-alone product, and 11%offer this material as either a

stand-alone product or as part of a multi-constituent supplement.

Demand for false unicorn continues to increase ata slow but steady rate. Supply is harvested exclu-sively from native sites, putting strains on wildpopulations, particularly in the southeastern Unit-ed States. An increasing number of buyers, who

fear the exploitation of natural populations, arestipulating that the false unicorn they purchase besupplied through cultivation or by sustainable wild-harvest techniques. Growing support among con-servation groups are considering petitioningCITES (Convention for International Trade on En-dangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) to in-clude false unicorn in Appendix II which wouldput restrictions on international trade.

ResourcesAllard, D.J. 2003. Chamaelirium luteum (L.) A.Gray (Devils Bit). Conservation and Research

Plan for New England. New England Wild FlowerSociety, Framingham, Massachusetts, USA.

Baskin, C. C., J. M. Baskin, and E. W. Chester.2001. Morphophysiological dormancy in seeds ofChamaelirium luteum, a long-lived dioecious lily.Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society 128:7-15.

Cech, R. 2002. Growing At-Risk Medicinal Herbs.Horizon Herbs. Williams, Oregon. 314 pp.

Strategic Reports. 2002. Analysis of the economicviability of cultivating selected botanicals in NorthCarolina. A report commissioned for the NorthCarolina Consortium on Natural Medicinal Prod-ucts by North Carolina State University, Raleigh,NC. 244 pp.

Conclusion

This is a revision of the manuscript published in 2004 for the NCConsortium on Natural Medicines, a GoldenLEAF Foundation

funded project of the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hilland N.C. State University. The original article was authored byJackie Greenfield and Jeanine Davis and can be found athttp://www.naturalmedicinesofnc.org.

A special thanks to the American Herbal Products Associationscontribution to this leaflet with their continuous consultations and

their invaluable annual Herbal Tonnage Reports.

Development of the latest version of this leaflet was funded by agrant from the GoldenLEAF Foundation and administered by Ad-vantage West. The project is the WNC Natural Products Projectand includes the following partners: AdvantageWest, Bent CreekGermplasm Repository, Bionetwork Biobusiness Center, BlueRidge Food Ventures, NC State University, and Western Carolina

University.

The use of brand names and any mention or listing of commercialproducts or services in this publication does not imply endorse-ment by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service nordiscrimination against similar products or services not mentioned.

Source: Wise Woman

Herbals

false unicorn final article 2012

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