About Argentina anserina (L.) Rydb.
Argentina anserina, commonly called silverweed, is a low-growing perennial herbaceous plant that reaches up to 20 centimetres (8 inches) in height. It produces creeping red stolons that can grow up to 80 cm (31 in) long. Its leaves measure 10–20 cm (4–8 in) long, and are evenly pinnate divided into saw-toothed leaflets. Each leaflet is 2–5 cm long and 1–2 cm broad, with 6–14 teeth per side. Leaflets, along with the plant's stems and stolons, are covered in silky white hairs, particularly on the underside of leaves. These hairs give the plant a silvery appearance, which is the source of its common name. Each leaf grows from a channeled petiole up to 5 cm long, with a long sheathing base. Flowers grow singly on 5–15 cm long stems, and are 1.5–2.5 cm in diameter, with five yellow petals; rarely, plants may produce up to seven petals per flower. The fruit is a cluster of dry achenes. Silverweed is native to all temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It grows most often in sandy or gravelly soils, where it can spread rapidly via its prolific rooting stolons. It typically grows in inland habitats, unlike the related species A. egedii, which is a salt-tolerant plant of coastal salt marshes. Historically, people placed silverweed in shoes to absorb sweat. It was formerly believed to help treat epilepsy, and was thought to ward off witches and evil spirits. Some Native American tribes ate the plant's roots. It has been cultivated as a food crop for its edible roots, which resemble parsnips. It can also become a problematic weed in gardens. Travelers to Tibet have reported food use of the plant's root in the region. Pyotr Kozlov, who traveled the Kham region in 1900–1901, recorded that Tibetans—who had no vegetables other than turnips at the time—often dug roots of Argentina anserina, which they called djüma locally. The roots could be easily dried and stored for later use, and Kozlov suggested that Russian peasants could similarly use the plant, especially during years of famine. In the late 19th century, the mission of Sarat Chandra Das to Tibet reported that the plant's root, known locally by names transcribed as toma, doma or droma, was served cooked in butter and sugar during New Year's celebrations in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital.
