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Cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.) is a tall and vigorous member of the Heliantheae tribe of the Asteraceae family. It is native to the eastern one-half of the USA and Canada, growing in moist ground from Southern Ontario to North Carolina and west to the Great Plains and Arkansas. It was introduced to Russia and Europe as a forage crop. It is a perennial that reaches to a height of 2 m and has several shoots that arise from short rhizomes. It is easy to distinguish by its yellow sunflower-like flowers, thick square stems, and opposite pairs of cup forming leaves. It grows in moist sandy and bottom lands and floodplains. The winter dormant roots can survive freezing to - 300C, and the plant is moderately tolerant to flooding. Cup plant initiates growth during early spring, after completing its vernalization, and grows rapidly, with maximum biomass accumulation by the end of summer. Cup plant can be used as forage and as an apiarian plant, and has valuable raw material for pharmaceuticals and potential bioenergy uses. It increases biodiversity in plant communities and enhances beautification.
About the author
Teshale Assefa Mamo is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Iowa State University. Prior to this he worked as scientist for Ethiopian Agricultural Research Organization where he conducted research on field crops. He also involved in cup plant research for biofuel production. He completed his Ph.D in plant science at South Dakota State University
