A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Plants and Flowers Forum Mystery Plants? black ox like thing

http://gardensnorth.com/site/index.htm

it's the picture are the bottom left corner of the screen, the black thing. I've seen them in the Chiense supermarkets occassionally and want to know what it may be. I know the Chinese, but my computer doesn't type chinese so I can't search for it

Are you talking about the black onyx itself or the design that it is cut in?

Actually, it's not a stone (onyx is a stone, right?)! It's a part of a plant which grows in water like rice paddies, I think it's the root or a tuber of some sort. You can eat it boiled or just sun dried

cool. if i could see a better picture, i might could get you a better answer

Kenny you've got me really curious now ,,, IF it grows it's tubers in water Like rice then Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm,, Okay I'm on a search,,,

I emailed the company to see, if it's not too expensive, I'm goin to buy a few to try...it's going to be a bit more than the supermarkets, but I think there's more of a guarentee.

But did you find out what the name of it was???

nope not yet, haven't heard from them yet

ok, so the email that popped up a few minutes earlier I didn't bother to open was from them. This is the reply:

Yes, Kenny, you are absolutely right about what it is---but I am afraid I
simply can't think of the name of it myself. I collect interesting seeds
aside from selling them---so this is one I have had for years that a Chinese
friend gave me....all I remember is what you remember, it's a vegetable and
it grows under water.

Sorry,
Kristl


>Hi! I came across your web site, and on the first page I noticed a specific
>picture. At the very bottom left corner of the screen, is a black ox head
>like thing. I know these grow in water, and my grandparents (when they were
>young growing up in China) would eat these. Can you tell me the name of the
>plant? I think these are the roots/tuber like structures of the plant. I
>cannot seem to find it browsing your catalogue. Thank you!
>Kenny
>kenny_origamist@hotmail.com

I FOUND IT!!! I should have done it...I googled up horn like vegetable and lo an behold I got it lol

Quote:


This is the www.luckymojo.com/batnut.html
This is from a kikirice.blogspot.com/2007/09/cu-au-luoc.html

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=TRBI5

Kenny I also read the seeds have to be kept moist. IF they dry they would be no longer viable. I read in a blog that the person writing it had three seeds and threw them in their fishtank and it grew at an amazing rate,, I don't believe we can put links to blogs, so I didn't . This person had pictures of it as it grew,, there is a lot of Info out there on these,, A very interesting topic,
I also read that they are grown in east Tx in a Bog, like a carnivorous plant would be . When you first started asking about it and said they are grown in water that was my first thought( Hmm a carnivorous plant?? only diffference is that this plant doesn't consume living things,, ) We have many many many Chinese /Asian Grocery stores here,, I imagine I can find them there too!

Thanks for starting this ... it is Very interesting

Are the plants that grow from these pretty?

It grows like a rosettes, with geranium like leaves (the perennial geraniums) and are supposed to have a little sac under the leaves to make them float. The pictures I've seen vary from a lush green to patterned red

That does sound cool. I might check them out for my pond.

i was thinking the same thing tina!

Ohhhhhhh I hope you guys do....... that would be interesting to watch it grow!

it is going to be a challenge to find one though.

If you want to see a picture of the plant, I found this site, it's in Chinese, but the pictures speak for themselves site
You find these a lot during the mid autumn celebrations, which is some time in September (august 15th with the lunar calender) I'm going to see if the stores still have any, I saw some the last time I went

If I do manage to find some fresh ones, I'll share the wealth lol

i'll send you something in response.

Those look a little invasive. I wonder if they are allowed to be grown here in Cal. The dishes on the site look delicious though.

Tina, there are two varieties which are similar but not identical. One which gives the bull like thing, and another which had 4 spikes (sorta like the things on a chain that the Romans used in war times)

I'm not too sure about eating cat 'o nine tails (spikes). We burn them off of the cactus fruit we eat. I have not spent enough time in Asian markets. I must look around one or two.

You'll find tons of weird things, what weird foods you can think of you can probably buy in china town lol

Kenny I'm going to stop Buy the Asian market tomorrow ,, In what area of the store should I look for these?? In the produce dept??

they looked really good. i bet there are filipino dishes using them.

Try the produce section, it's pronounced ling gok as in English. if not try writing this out on a slip of paper 菱角 (http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%8F%B1%E8%A7%92 the title of the page) it shouldn't be too expensive, at least cheaper than ordering over the internet (a site charged $2 a piece, you can probably buy a pound for that price lol)

GOt it Kenny!! Thanks!!!I wrote it down,,, I'm going after work tomarrow, there are four Hong Kong Markets on the way home in both the City I work in and the City I live it,, I hope they have it!!

I forgot to ask if they wer efrom HK or China (a different dialect...my parents are from HK as well) so you'll be fine. They'll be surprised lol good luck!!

Thanks I'll let you know!

Shoooooooooooooot KEnny I went to all 4 HongKong markets,, and a Koreon market NOONE had them I'm glad I printed off a picture to take with me because They had noooooooo clue what I was talking about,, Ling Gok,, they kept saying was Ginsing Soooooooo I guess I'll never find it here,.

I am thinking so--just by virtue fo the fact that it is of plant origin--good luck !!! I am interested now too.

Ginseng...that's about 20x more costly lol I can't think of how they can mix up the two, the names in chinese are so different! At least they didn't cheat you and make you buy it, lots of merchants do that in the chinese markets. They are in 'season' during september so it may be a bit late, I'll send some to whoever wants some if I can get my hands on them. Maybe during chiense new year they may have some. they're going to have lots of weird things for new years (I think this year it's feb. 7, day after ash wednesday) there'll be lots of weird plants and fruts, they import lots during that time. I'll keep you guys posted.

Thanks Kenny,, One of the Produce workers( an older gentlemen) said We never get the root just the green,, as he pointed to the root.( the picture), I'm not convinced he even just gets the green,

I hope I didn't confuse you. When you buy them, it's just like buying tulips and daffodils, you buy the tuber (the ox like thing...I think it counts as a tuber)

yeah I understood that part Kenny that's why I don't think the guy at the store did!