Starch-Producing Plants of Kyrgyzstan

STARCH-BEARING PLANTS

Among the numerous wild plants of Kyrgyzstan, there are also starch-bearing ones. They grow in deserts, steppes, meadows, and swamps.

In the deserts and steppes, an interesting starch-bearing plant is the yeremurus or shiryash.

Yeremurus. Many species of yeremurus grow in Kyrgyzstan, but the Tien Shan yeremurus and the burnt yeremurus stand out as starch-bearing. Both species are found on small gravelly slopes alongside other steppe plants. Starch accumulates in their shortened rhizomes and thickened root tubers.

Since ancient times, the local population has made excellent glue from yeremurus starch, which can bond not only paper, cardboard, and wooden products but even glass.

Previously, yeremurus was used in the construction of various clay structures. Clay structures made with it lasted a long time without breaking down. Yeremurus starch can be used to produce alcohol, prepare kissel, and other dishes.

Leontice Eversmannii.
An interesting herbaceous perennial plant from the Barberry family, Leontice Eversmannii, grows in the foothills of steppe and semi-desert slopes. Its tuberous roots, which can be quite developed (up to 1-1.5 kg), contain starch. In addition to starch, they contain various alkaloids (leontamine, leotidine, leontin) and saponins.

The starch from leontice is a raw material for alcohol production. This starch cannot be consumed due to the presence of alkaloids. Since the tubers contain saponins, the local population sometimes uses them as soap.

Katran Kochi.
It grows on dry clayey gravelly foothills and slopes in Northern and Southern Kyrgyzstan.

This perennial plant from the Cabbage family has large leaves and thick fleshy roots, where starch accumulates. Some roots weigh up to 5-6 kg. Alcohol, molasses, and starch can be obtained from katran roots.

Zopnik (Tuberous Plant). It grows in the steppes. Its tubers contain edible starch, which can be consumed boiled or baked.

Buzulnik, or Ligularia Thompsonii.

Reed
It is widespread in the tall grass meadows of Kyrgyzstan. Its rhizome and roots contain starch, which can be used for distillation.

There are particularly many starch-bearing plants in the sedge meadows and swamps — these include reeds, bulrush, susak, shepherd's purse, and others.

Common reed. For some reason, it is called "cattail" in the folk, although it is a typical tall grass with a flower panicle, like other grasses. In Kyrgyz conditions, it reaches a height of 3.5 m. The leaves are long, flat, bluish-green, and stiff. The reed flowers in July and bears fruit in October. It grows along riverbanks, swamps, near ditches, springs, and ponds.

It is even found in fields and gardens where groundwater is close to the surface. Thick rhizomes of reed contain starch and up to 5% sugar. The starch is edible.

Broadleaf bulrush.
It grows in the valleys of Kyrgyzstan, especially widespread in the Talas, Chui, and Fergana valleys — in swamps, small shallow water bodies, backwaters, and along pond banks. Its stems reach a height of 120 cm. The leaves are broad-linear. The flower spikes are brown. It blooms in June and bears fruit in July.

From the rhizomes of broadleaf bulrush, a lot of starch is obtained (up to 46%). Bread and kissel can be made from the rhizomes. Boiled young shoots of bulrush taste like asparagus.

Roasted rhizomes can be consumed as a coffee substitute. The leaves of bulrush are used for weaving baskets, bottle containers; they can also be processed into fiber for ropes and packaging fabric.

Grossgeim's bulrush
It differs from the aforementioned only by a few morphological features.

It grows in swamps, in the valley of the Naryn River. It contains starch in its rhizomes. It is also used like broadleaf bulrush.

Umbrella susak.
It is popularly called "Yakut bread." This name comes from the fact that the Yakuts indeed baked bread from its rhizomes. With a bunch of linear leaves, it reaches a height of one and a half meters. The stem bears simple umbrellas of quite beautiful white-pink flowers. The umbrellas stick out in different directions.

In the dry rhizomes of susak, there is 60% starch, 14% protein, and 4% fat. From one kilogram of rhizomes, 250 g of flour can be obtained, which can be used to bake bread, flatbreads, and other flour products. Roasted rhizomes are consumed as a coffee substitute. Mats and mats are made from the leaves.

It is widespread throughout Kyrgyzstan, except in high-altitude areas. It is usually found in swamps, marshes, near ponds and canals.

Three-leaved arrowhead (from the family of Shepherd's Purse).
It got its name from the shape of its arrow-shaped leaves. The flowers are white and arranged in whorls. The stems can reach a height of 80 cm. It blooms in June and bears fruit in September.

It grows in swamps, backwaters, and riverbanks in almost all regions of Kyrgyzstan (except for high-altitude areas).

Nodules the size of nuts form on the rhizomes of the arrowhead. They contain up to 35% starch and five times more protein than potato tubers.

N. Verzilin writes about this plant: "In fresh form, the raw tubers of the arrowhead taste like raw nuts, when boiled they resemble peas, and when baked — they taste just like potatoes."

Indigenous people have consumed arrowhead tubers for food since time immemorial. It is no wonder that it is also called "the white potato of the Indians." In China, the plant is cultivated for its tubers. In cultivation, its tubers are larger — up to 14 grams.

Medium peony (from the Buttercup family).
It is popularly called Mary root; in Kyrgyz, it is called chymyndyk.

It grows in tall grass meadows, among shrubs, in forest clearings. It loves open, sufficiently moist places. It is found almost throughout Kyrgyzstan in the forest-meadow zone. It is especially characteristic of the Kyrgyz Ridge, Talas, Chatkal, Alai, and Fergana.

The flowers are large — up to 10.5 cm in diameter, purple-pink or raspberry. It blooms in May and June, bearing fruit in July and August.

Starch is contained in the tubers. After washing, it is fit for consumption. The medium peony is not inferior in decorativeness to cultivated species. It makes sense to introduce it into cultivation.

Among all starch-bearing plants in Kyrgyzstan, the best is undoubtedly the cultivated potato. Its tubers, according to N. V. Pavlov, contain 75% water, 21% non-nitrogenous extractive substances (mainly starch), 2% nitrogenous substances, 0.9% fiber, and traces of fat.

In general, there are few wild starch-bearing plants in Kyrgyzstan. Besides providing starch, starch-bearing plants are also of interest as objects for studying the patterns of starch accumulation in plants.

When using wild starch-bearing plants (yeremurus, leontice, katran, etc.), it should be remembered that they have significant phytomeliorative value.