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“ plant are tricky . Many are comestible , but one assumed taste and you ’re dead . ” — The Hunger Games , by Suzanne Collins
Whether or not you ’ve see the movies or record the books , you probably know thatThe Hunger Gamesis a dystopian storey of competition and survival in a post - apocalyptic world . Much of the narrative take place in the wilderness , a circumstance that comes with its own plaster cast of eccentric : plants . The book ( not so much the film ) is a wondrous collection of ethnobotanical acknowledgment . Flowers that heal , trees that feed , and berries that kill — plant are the ally and the enemy .
Without further ado , a listing of several pregnant plants inThe Hunger Games . To readers who are n’t familiar with the story , two monition : first , [ SPOILER ALERT ] the list contains some spoilers . Second , beware the venomous nightlock berry !
Katniss plant life . exposure by : Wikimedia Commons .
KatnissKatniss Everdeen , the story ’s heroine and champion forager is nominate for a plant . Hardy , valuable , and sometimes sweet , the katniss plant is also an adaptable survivor , just like the character . Also sleep together as duck potato and swan potato , the plant life is sometimes called " arrowhead , " derived from the Latin name for its genus : Sagittaria , which relate to the Sagittarius the Archer in the zodiac — a master with the bow and pointer , just like the young booster .
In the wilderness , the katniss plant is found in wetland . Its leaves are edible , though it ’s most valued for its roots : large , alimental tubers whose taste is comparable to a sweet white potato . Katniss was once a staple food of Native Americans , particularly in the Northwest ( where they dug up the plant with their toe ) . Of the 30 katniss species , Sagittaria latifoliais most rife in North America .
eve primrose ( Oenothera lamarckiana ) . Photo by : aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu .
PrimrosePrimrose Everdeen , Katniss ’s easy sister , is most likely named for the eventide primrose , Oenothera spp , a plant that Collins describes as beautiful and finespun . Like the character , primrose flush are not all that hardy — they’re not at the Games either . The evening primrose is a medicative plant life , called " king’s - cure - all , and a softening agent , both of which reflect Primrose ’s character in the story . The bloom will thrive in forsaken land , just like the vernal girl — except in area west of the Rockies , which is where the write up ’s " Capitol " is likely locate — and also where the character herself dies .
regret plant ( left ) ; Rue lean inTacuinum Sanitatis , a medieval handbook on wellness ( right ) . picture by : Wikimedia Commons .
RueThe rue plant ( Ruta ) is an evergreen " herbaceous plant - of - seemliness " that conduct many metaphors . It ’s been called the works of purity and it is featured in many ethnic and religious ceremonies . In literature , it has been used as a symbol of both ruefulness and freedom . And so it is an apt name for the young little girl who befriends Katniss during the games , whose death serves as a turning point in the story . When Rue is killed , Katniss ’s ruefulness becomes a sense of freedom , prompting her to set up the vital rebellion .
Nuphar luteum(left);Nymphaea mexicana , native to the southern United States ( right ) . Photo by : Wikimedia Commons .
Pond Lilies"Tomorrow I ’ll stay here , rest , camouflaging my backpack with mud , catch some of those little fish I discover as I sipped , digging up the root of the pool lilies to make a nice meal . "
Katniss ’s survival of the fittest architectural plan sounds very pleasant — a picnic by the lily pool . Collins does not cite the species , so the lilies ofThe Hunger Gamescould be any metal money of the most unwashed three genus — Nuphar , Nymphaea , andNelumbo , all of which have comestible rootstock . Pond lily roots are enormous , spongy , and sold in many street marketplace ( call back of the lotus root , which the Chinese call a " cooling " food , thought to reestablish Libra the Balance in the torso ) .
Edible pine bark . Photo by : woodcraftwanderings.org .
Pine Trees“I slowly manducate the stuff as I walk along … it ’s a little gruelling to stifle down . ”
With little else to eat , Katniss twist to a pine Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . Its soft inside bark can be a good meal and its needle are a dependable source of Vitamin C. Native Americans often chewed on pine Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree bark during the wintertime months to maintain nutrient military reserve .
From Franz Eugen Köhler , Köhler ’s Medizinal - Pflanzen , 1897 ( forget ) ; blowball ( genus Taraxacum officinale ) ( right ) . Photo by : Wikimedia Commons .
Dandelions"I had just turned by from Peeta Mellark ’s bruised face when I saw the blowball and I knew hope was n’t lose . I pick it carefully and hurried home . I grabbed a bucketful and Prim ’s hand and lead to the Meadow and yes , it was disperse with the aureate - head weeds . After we ’d harvested those , we scrounge along inside the fence for probably a mile until we fill up the bucket with the blowball green , staunch and flowers . "
In the report , the dandelion becomes a symbol of Bob Hope for Katniss , and evidence of her resource and expert foraging . When she sees the field of dandelions , she gain self-assurance in her ability to give her family . dandelion are alone edible — to a forager , a dandelion field means something entirely different than what it means to the nurseryman . Dandelion leaf have more beta carotene than Daucus carota sativa and more iron than spinach . The root can be use as an herbal remedy for a identification number of ailments and the milky sap can soothe bee confidence game and blisters .
European Honeysuckle ( Lonicera periclymenum ) . Photo by : Wikimedia Commons .
HoneysuckleWhen Katniss come forth from the tracker jacker ( engineered wasp ) hallucinations , she attain for a honeysuckle to soothe her spirits and sweeten her tongue . The edible nectar can be eat like a shot from the flower — remove the stamen from the bottom of the flower , and suck the nectar droplet .
Deadly nightshade ( Atropa belladonna ) . Photo by : Wikimedia Commons .
NightlockNightlock , the poison of the woodland , does n’t actually survive , but its name is most likely derived from two be plant with similar toxicity : virulent nightshade ( Atropa belladonna plant ) , and poison Nebraska fern ( genus Conium maculatum ) . Ancient Romans used the nighshade ’s Charles Edward Berry and leaves as a poisonous substance , and Conium maculatum was excellently used in the dying of Socrates . InThe Hunger Games , Katniss accurately identifies some berries that Peeta collects to be deadly . A competitor who does n’t share Katniss ’s plant identification acumen later eats the nightlock ’s berries , with black consequences .
Calendula officinalis . photograph by : Wikimedia Commons .
UnidentifiedCollins write about one flora whose identity element eludes us . The leaves of an unnamed plant are used several fourth dimension to heal various wounds and complaint : in one instance , Rue chews the leave , then applies the pulpy salve to Katniss ’s tracker jacker wounds ; in another , Katniss ’s female parent boil the farewell to make a medicinal philosophers' stone ; finally , Katniss utilise the leave-taking to treat Peeta ’s pegleg injury . It ’s possible that the plant isCalendula officinalis , which herbalists often laud for its beneficial shade , tea , and fossil oil . Calendula leave and petals have been use to cut back inflammation and as an antiseptic against infection . Calendula is a good candidate for this unidentified works , but it ’s hard to be sure . Hunger Gamesfans , what do you think it could be ?
Thanks to Peter Schafran , ethnobotanist atOld Dominion University , for confer on this firearm .
