Index
Practical ecological knowledge for the temperate reader.

Chenopodium Sp. - Goosefoot

"The name Chenopodium is derived from the Greek words chenos (goose) and podos (foot), because the leaves often resemble goose feet. This genus consists of ca. 120 species, widely distributed over the world, 45 of which have been described in India." [Bajaj MAPS 10]

"Habit: Annual or perennial herb, glabrous or powdery. Stem: branches 0 to generally erect (spreading). Leaf: generally petioled; blade linear to deltate or diamond-shaped, entire to lobed or toothed, reduced distally on stem; proximal leaves generally early-deciduous. Inflorescence: spheric clusters or flower 1, in spikes, or panicle-like, generally dense; bracts generally 0; flowers generally sessile. Flower: sepals generally 5, fused or not, persistent, flat to keeled; stamens generally 5; stigmas 2(5). Fruit: enclosed or subtended by calyx; fruit wall membranous or papery, free or attached to seed and generally loosening in age. Seed: vertical or horizontal, lenticular to +- spheric, red-brown to black; wall thin. Species In Genus: +- 100 species: temperate; some cultivated for food or grain. Etymology: (Greek: goose foot, from leaf shape of some species) Note: Fruit generally required for identification. Other species in TJM (1993) now treated in Dysphania.
Unabridged Note: Powder on plants from small, inflated hairs." [Jepson]

Local Species;

  1. Chenopodium album - lamb's-quarters [E-flora]
  2. Chenopodium berlandieri - pitseed goosefoot [E-flora]
  3. Chenopodium capitatum - strawberry-blite [E-flora]
  4. Chenopodium ficifolium - figleaf goosefoot [E-flora]
  5. Chenopodium rubrum - red goosefoot [E-flora]
  6. Chenopodium simplex - maple-leaved goosefoot [E-flora]

References


Chenopodium album - lamb's-quarters

Family: Amaranthaceae - Amaranth [E-flora]

Subtaxa Present in B.C

"Chenopodium album is a ANNUAL growing to 0.9 m (3ft) by 0.2 m (0ft 8in). It is not frost tender. It is in flower from July to October, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid and very alkaline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil." [PFAF]

"General: Annual herb from a taproot; stems erect, solitary, branched, 0.2-1.0 m tall, greenish to greyish-mealy, often reddish-tinged with age." [IFBC-E-flora]

"Leaves: Stem leaves alternate, somewhat succulent, broadly lanceolate, deltoid, egg-shaped or diamond-shaped, 3-10 cm long, shallowly to prominently toothed or lobed, sparsely to densely mealy." [IFBC-E-flora]

Notes: "The two subspecies recognized by Tutin (1964) for C. album appear to be present in our flora. They may be distinguished as follows:" [IFBC-E-flora]

"Habitat / Range Mesic to dry fields, waste places and gardens in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; common throughout BC except the Queen Charlotte Islands and adjacent coast; introduced from Eurasia." [IFBC-E-flora]

Status: Exotic [E-flora]

Hazards

"The leaves and seeds of all members of this genus are more or less edible. However, many of the species in this genus contain saponins, though usually in quantities too small to do any harm. Although toxic, saponins are poorly absorbed by the body and most pass straight through without any problem. They are also broken down to a large extent in the cooking process. Saponins are found in many foods, such as some beans. Saponins are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish[K]. The plants also contain some oxalic acid, which in large quantities can lock up some of the nutrients in the food, but these plants are very nutritious vegetables in reasonable quantities. Cooking the plant will reduce its content of oxalic acid. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition[238]. There is also a report that very large quantities of the leaves have caused photosensitivity in some people[74]. Only the raw leaves can cause problems, and then only if large quantities are consumed[172]. A further report says that if the plant is grown in soils that contain too much nitrates then the plant can concentrate these substances in the leaves. Nitrates have been shown to cause many health problems including stomach cancers and blue-baby syndrome. In nitrogen-rich soils, the plants can also concentrate hydrogen cyanide[218]. In small quantities, hydrogen cyanide has been shown to stimulate respiration and improve digestion, it is also claimed to be of benefit in the treatment of cancer. In excess, however, it can cause respiratory failure and even death." [PFAF]

"In Hungary, it seems that a fairly large amount of the powdered herb mixed with food has been shown to suppress the oestrous cycle (Watt & Breyer-Brandwijk). In other words it may act as an oral contraceptive." [DPL Watts]

"When mature, the leaves contain higher levels of sodium and oxalic acid (linked to kidney stones). You should be cautious with this plant if you have a history of issues with kidney stones." [Jones TDFB]

Edible Uses

Other Uses

Medicinal Uses

"Fat hen is not employed in herbal medicine, though it does have some gentle medicinal properties and is a very nutritious and healthy addition to the diet[268]." [PFAF]

Lambsquarters – Chenopodium album

Part: Greens (Cooked) Per 100 g fresh weight
Food Energy (Kcal) 32 Ash (g) 2.2 Potassium (mg) -
Water (g) 89 Thiamine (mg) - Magnesium (mg) -
Protein (g) 3.2 Riboflavin (mg) 0.75 Calcium (mg) 258
Fat (g) 0.7 Niacin (mg) 0.9 Phosphorus (mg) 45
Carbohydrate (g) 5 Vitamin C (mg) 37 Sodium (mg) -
Crude Fiber (g) 1.8 Vitamin A (RE) 970 Iron (mg) 0.7
Zinc (mg) - Manganese (mg) - Copper (mg) -

Lambsquarters – Chenopodium album

Part: Greens Per 100 g fresh weight
Food Energy (Kcal) 34 Ash (g) 2.3 Potassium (mg) 874
Water (g) 88 Thiamine (mg) 0.18 Magnesium (mg) 177
Protein (g) 3.3 Riboflavin (mg) - Calcium (mg) 309
Fat (g) 0.6 Niacin (mg) 1.4 Phosphorus (mg) 76
Carbohydrate (g) 5.7 Vitamin C (mg) 98.3 Sodium (mg) -
Crude Fiber (g) 1.5 Vitamin A (RE) 1277 Iron (mg) 1.2
Zinc (mg) 0.7 Manganese (mg) 1.1 Copper (mg) 0.2

Lambsquarters – Chenopodium album [218] [PFAF]

Part: Leaves Per 100 g dryweight
Food Energy (Kcal) 260 Ash (g) 28 Potassium (mg) -
Water (g) 0 Thiamine (mg) 0.67 Magnesium (mg) -
Protein (g) 24 Riboflavin (mg) 1.58 Calcium (mg) 2300
Fat (g) 5 Niacin (mg) 2.5 Phosphorus (mg) 500
Carbohydrate (g) 45 Vitamin C (mg) - Sodium (mg) -
Fiber (g) 15 Vitamin A (mg) 31583 Iron (mg) 25
Zinc (mg) - Manganese (mg) - Copper (mg) -

Notes: The figures are the median of a range given in the report. [218] [PFAF]

"Fresh weight basis: Moisture contents 87.70 %, dry matter contents 12.30 %. Dry weight basis: Carbohydrates 7.680 %, crude proteins 54.90 %, crude fats 3.730 %, crude fibers 13.28 %, ash contents 20.42 %, Energy value 283.8 Kcal/100 g." [Abbasi WEVLH]

"Leaves of wild vegetables of South Africa namely Chenopodium album, Sonchus asper, Solanum nigrum and Urtica urens were found to have protein contents between 13.25 and 26.44%, fi bre content were 16.08-23.08% and mineral (ash) contents were 13.0-27.75%, (Afolayan and Jimoh 2008) . The total phenolic contents ranged between 4.58 and 10.53 mg/g." [EMNMPV.6]

Carotene Content of Raw and Cooked Leaf Vegetables Grown in Pakistan - Raw [ug (100g)-1]: 3097, Cooked [ug (cooked wt)-1] Fried=2619 Pressure=2988 Traditional=2498 [Gross Pigments]

"Spinacia oleracea has 8100 units of pro-vitamin A (beta carotene) for every 100 grams of leaves, but, for the same weight of material,... Chenopodium album (common goosefoot) has 14,000 units in its young shoots, Leucanthemum vulgare (ox-eye daisy) has 12,000 units in its early season basal leaves, Plantago major (common plaintain) has 10,000 units in its early season leaves, ...." [Haines AP]

Phytochemicals

Walker et al. (2004) reported lower Zn tissue concentration in Chenopodium album L. when plants were grown in soils amended with compost or manure; [Phytorem1] "Cu accumulator plant" [Bini PHE]

"The seed germination of Chenopodium album also shows a complicated dependance of germination on radiation (Karssen 1970) and is stimulated by nitrate ions (Henson 1970) which is advantageous, as the plant's growth itself is also furthered very much by nitrates and high concentrations of other anorganic ions (see Kinzel 1969)." [Holzner BEW]

"...water extract showed higher value of total phenolics contents (mg GAE/100 g, FW) than acetone extract. Flavonoid and flavonol contents were found higher in acetone extracts (mg Rt/100 g, FW) as compared to water extracts on fresh weight basis. Water extract showed slightly more concentration of ascorbic acid contents (mg AA/100 g, FW) than acetone extract on fresh weight basis." [Abbasi WEVLH]

"Accumulation of betacyanins in tissue culture of ... Chenopodium album ... has been studied by Japanese companies with the aim of introducing the production of these pigments on a commercial scale (Misawa et ale 1973; Komatsu et ale 1975)." [Bajaj MAPS 2]

Pharmacology

"The antioxidant properties in the leaves of C. album are given in Fig. 8.21, which indicates that water extract showed more DPPH scavenging activity than acetone extract" [Abbasi WEVLH]

"Useful in cold, general weakness and purgative. Its seeds contain whole set of essential amino acids. It has higher lysine content. Its leaves are good source of high-quality protein concentrate (Kumar and Kumar 2008)" [Gupta HTNH]

Cultivation

"Ruderals appear in high-productivity environments with high disturbance. Ruderal (from the same root as rubbish, indicating the wastelands or disturbed areas where they thrive) species have short lifespans and immediately devote their energy to producing the next generation of seeds. These are the colonizer species in the competitor–colonizer trade-off. Common weeds such as lambsquarters (Chenopodium album) are ruderals" [Beck PELD]

"An easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils but disliking shade[1, 200]. It prefers a moderately fertile soil[200]. Tolerates a pH in the range 4.5 to 8.3. In moderate amounts this plant is a good companion for potatoes, corn and cucurbits[20, 54]. The plant responds directly to the magnesium content of the soil so it can be used to indicate the presence of that element[114]. Fat hen is occasionally cultivated as a food crop[46], there is at least one named variety[183]. Called 'Magenta' in reference to the colour of its leaves, it is considered by some people to be the best tasting of all potherbs[183]" [PFAF]

"Chenopodium album exhibits an ‘average performance’ of a summer-annual weed in the Nordic countries. It is comparatively sensitive to herbicides used in different annual crops and has therefore decreased after 1950, but not nearly as much as, for instance, Sinapis arvensis." [Hakansson WWM]

"the ability of C. album to fix nitrogen by association with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in its roots seems interesting (Mukherjee et al. 1985)." [Bajaj MAPS 10]

"The perthotrophic fungal species Ascochyta caulina (P. Karst.) v.d. Aa and v. Kest., has been proposed as a mycoherbicide against Chenopodium album (Kempenaar, 1995), also known as common lambsquarter or fat hen, a common world-wide weed of many arable crops such as sugar beet and maize (Holm et al., 1977). The application of pycnidiospores of the fungus to C. album plants causes the appearance of large necrosis of leaves and stems and, depending on the amount of necrosis developed, plants show retarded growth or death." [BCNS]

Alleleopathy

"Govahi and Shajie (2005a) investigated the allelopathic effects of C. album water extracts on bean germination. Treatments used were: 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 % of Chenopodium water extracts and results indicated that the effects of Chenopodium water extracts on germination percentage, radicle and plumule growth, and seedling dry weigh were significant. Increased water extracts of Chenopodium reduced characteristics of germination and seedling growth." [Cheema Alleleopathy]

"Wheat grown in the presence of a non-mycorrhizal weed, Chenopodium album, experienced lowered levels of mycorrhizal colonization, while maize experienced an increase in colonization (Stejskalova 1990)." [Lichtfouse SAR 4]

Control Measures

"Application of the biological control agent Ascochyta caulina to common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album) in sugarbeet and com resulted in a reduction of competition from the weed in the corn cropping system, but did not have a positive effect when applied in the sugar beet system. This example supports the idea that the successful development of bioherbicides can be enhanced if the crop characteristics are taken into account. While using the biological control agent alone may be a feasible approach for management of the weed in corn, a more integrated approach may need to be addressed if it is to be successful in sugarbeet production." [Khachatourians AMB2]

"A mixture of psyllium and PVA enhanced the efficacy of Ascochyta caulina on Chenopodium album." [Khachatourians AMB2]

Synonyms

C. reticulatum [PFAF]

References

  1. [E-flora] Chenopodium album Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2013. E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia (eflora.bc.ca). Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. https://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Chenopodium%20album&redblue=Both&lifeform=7 [Accessed: 6/13/2014 10:07:23 PM ]
  2. [PFAF] https://pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?LatinName=Chenopodium+album, Accessed March 28, 2021

Chenopodium berlandieri - pitseed goosefoot

Subtaxa Present in B.C.

"Chenopodium berlandieri is a ANNUAL growing to 1.2 m (4ft). It is in flower from July to October, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil." [PFAF]

Status: Native [E-flora]

Hazards

"The leaves and seeds of all members of this genus are more or less edible. However, many of the species in this genus contain saponins, though usually in quantities too small to do any harm. Although toxic, saponins are poorly absorbed by the body and most pass straight through without any problem. They are also broken down to a large extent in the cooking process. Saponins are found in many foods, such as some beans. Saponins are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish[K]. The plants also contain some oxalic acid, which in large quantities can lock up some of the nutrients in the food. However, even considering this, they are very nutritious vegetables in reasonable quantities. Cooking the plants will reduce their content of oxalic acid. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition[238]." [PFAF]

Edible Uses

Other Uses

Cultivation & Propagation

"Chenopodium berlandieri... is unquestionably native in North America, and was cultivated by indigenous tribes well before Europeans arrived (Smith 1992)." [Daniel F. Austin]

"We have very little information on this species and do not know how well it will grow in Britain, but it should succeed as a spring sown annual. According to some botanists this species is no more than a synonym for C. album[235] whilst 'World Economic Plants' treats it as a distinct species and includes C. nuttalliae (which is dealt with here as a distinct species) as a sub-species. It is viewed as a distinct, but very similar, species in the Flora of North and Central Texas[274]. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. An easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils but disliking shade[1, 200]. It prefers a moderately fertile soil[200]." [PFAF]

"Seed - sow spring in situ. Most of the seed usually germinates within a few days of sowing." [PFAF]

Synonyms

References

  1. [E-flora] Chenopodium berlandieri, https://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Chenopodium%20berlandieri&redblue=Both&lifeform=7 ,Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2013. E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia (eflora.bc.ca). Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Accessed: 6/13/2014; March 31, 2021
  2. [PFAF] https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Chenopodium+berlandieri, Accessed March 31, 2021

Chenopodium capitatum - strawberry-blite

"Chenopodium capitatum is a ANNUAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft).
It is hardy to zone (UK) 5. It is in flower from July to August, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Wind.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil." [PFAF]

"General: Annual herb from a stout taproot; stems erect, several, branched, 20-80 cm tall, glabrous." [IFBC-E-flora]

"Leaves: Leaves alternate, greenish on both surfaces, 2-10 cm long, triangular, arrowhead-shaped at the base." [IFBC-E-flora]

"Habitat / Range Mesic to dry disturbed areas and waste places in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; common throughout most of BC, rare W of the Coast-Cascade Mountains; N to AK, YT and NT, E to PQ and NS and S to PA, MN, NM and CA; also Eurasia; native status uncertain." [IFBC-E-flora]

Origin Status: Native [E-flora]

Hazards

"The leaves and seeds of all members of this genus are more or less edible. However, many of the species in this genus contain saponins, though usually in quantities too small to do any harm. Although toxic, saponins are poorly absorbed by the body and most pass straight through without any problem. They are also broken down to a large extent in the cooking process. Saponins are found in many foods, such as some beans. Saponins are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish[K]. The plants also contain some oxalic acid, which in large quantities can lock up some of the nutrients in the food. However, even considering this, they are very nutritious vegetables in reasonable quantities. Cooking the plants will reduce their content of oxalic acid. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition[238]." [PFAF]

Edible Uses

Other Uses

Medicinal Uses

Synonyms

References

  1. [E-flora] Chenopodium capitatum, https://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Blitum%20capitatum&redblue=Both&lifeform=7, Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2013. E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia (eflora.bc.ca). Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Accessed: 6/13/2014; April 1, 2021
  2. [PFAF] https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Chenopodium+capitatum, Accessed April 1, 2021

Chenopodium ficifolium - figleaf goosefoot

"Chenopodium ficifolium is a ANNUAL growing to 0.9 m (3ft).
It is hardy to zone (UK) 4. It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Wind.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil." [PFAF]

Status: Exotic [E-flora]

Hazards

"The leaves and seeds of all members of this genus are more or less edible. However, many of the species in this genus contain saponins, though usually in quantities too small to do any harm. Although toxic, saponins are poorly absorbed by the body and most pass straight through without any problem. They are also broken down to a large extent in the cooking process. Saponins are found in many foods, such as some beans. Saponins are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish[K]. The plants also contain some oxalic acid, which in large quantities can lock up some of the nutrients in the food. However, even considering this, they are very nutritious vegetables in reasonable quantities. Cooking the plants will reduce their content of oxalic acid. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition[238]." [PFAF]

"Methanol and ethanol crude extracts of Chenopodium ficifolium were harmful to beneficial insects (Quang et al. 2010 )." [Singh APB]

Edible Use

Other Use

Cultivation & Propagation

"An easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils but disliking shade[1, 200]. It prefers a moderately fertile soil[200]." [PFAF]

"Seed - sow spring in situ. Most of the seed usually germinates within a few days of sowing." [PFAF]

Synonyms

References


Chenopodium rubrum - Red goosefoot

"Chenopodium rubrum is a ANNUAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft). It is in flower from July to October, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Wind.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil." [PFAF]

Hazards

"The leaves and seeds of all members of this genus are more or less edible. However, many of the species in this genus contain saponins, though usually in quantities too small to do any harm. Although toxic, saponins are poorly absorbed by the body and most pass straight through without any problem. They are also broken down to a large extent in the cooking process. Saponins are found in many foods, such as some beans. Saponins are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish[K]. The plants also contain some oxalic acid, which in large quantities can lock up some of the nutrients in the food. However, even considering this, they are very nutritious vegetables in reasonable quantities. Cooking the plants will reduce their content of oxalic acid. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition[238]." [PFAF]

Edible Uses

Other Uses

Cultivation & Propagation

"An easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils but disliking shade[1, 200]. it prefers a moderately fertile soil[200]." [PFAF]

"Seed - sow spring in situ. Most of the seed usually germinates within a few days of sowing." [PFAF]

Synonyms

References


Chenopodium simplex - Maple-leaved goosefoot

"Chenopodium simplex is a ANNUAL growing to 1.2 m (4ft). It is in flower from July to October, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Wind.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil." [PFAF]

"General: Annual herb from a taproot; stems erect, solitary to numerous, simple to freely branched, 0.2-1.5 m tall, glabrous except glandular in the inflorescence." [IFBC-E-flora]

"Leaves: Stem leaves alternate, broadly deltoid to egg-shaped, 5-20 cm long, shallow to prominently toothed or lobed, glabrous." [IFBC-E-flora]

"Habitat / Range Moist to dry forests and disturbed areas in the montane zone; infrequent in SC and SE BC, rare northward to Dawson Creek; introduced from Eurasia." [IFBC-E-flora]

Status: Native " [E-flora]

Hazards

"The leaves and seeds of all members of this genus are more or less edible. However, many of the species in this genus contain saponins, though usually in quantities too small to do any harm. Although toxic, saponins are poorly absorbed by the body and most pass straight through without any problem. They are also broken down to a large extent in the cooking process. Saponins are found in many foods, such as some beans. Saponins are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish[K]. The plants also contain some oxalic acid, which in large quantities can lock up some of the nutrients in the food. However, even considering this, they are very nutritious vegetables in reasonable quantities. Cooking the plants will reduce their content of oxalic acid. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition[238]." [PFAF]

Edible Uses

Other Uses

Cultivation & Propagation

"We have very little information on this species and do not know how well it will grow in Britain, but it should succeed as a spring sown annual. It is part of C. hybridum according to some botanists[60], whilst others afford it specific status and say it is closely related to C. hybridum[270]. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. An easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils but disliking shade[1, 200]. It prefers a moderately fertile soil[200]." [PFAF]

"Seed - sow spring in situ. Most of the seed usually germinates within a few days of sowing." [PFAF]

Synonyms

References


Uses of Other Chenopodium Sp.

"The genus Chenopodium consists of more than 250 species, mostly "weeds", which grow on all continents. In plant systematics it is closely related to the genus Amaranthus (Sherma and Day 1967). They share some morphological characters (e.g. the curved embryo), and also the synthesis of beta cyanin (instead of anthocyan). Sometimes the two genera are combined under a practical aspect as pseudo-cereals, in view of their millenarian use in the neotropical mountain region, before the Eurasian cereals arrived. Three Chenopodium have been cultivated: C. pallidicaule and C. quinoa in South America and C. nuttaliae in Mexico" [Brucher UPNO]

"All of the species are more or less edible, although the one listed above [C. fremontii] is the best . The leaves may be cooked as greens.... the small black seeds can be eaten raw ; they are best when salted, mixed with corn meal, and made into mush or cakes." [Kirk WEP]

"Analysis of foliage of ten species of Chenopodium at the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow, revealed a wide range of variation for protein (26–64 g/kg), carotene (78–190 mg/kg), vitamin C (0.5–2.4 g/kg), nitrate (2.6–5.0 g/kg) and oxalate (9–39 g/kg) [13]." [Khemani CP]

Seeds

Soap: "The first unidentified species is chopped up finely and spread on the face and arms to keep the flies and mosquitoes from biting one. "It is just like soap when crushed up," or so one of my informants states." [Elmore EON]

Acaricide Additive: "Thymol blended with the oils of Chenopodium and fir showed the highest bioactivity against Varroa mite." [Singh APB]

Chenopodium acuminatum

Chenopodium ambrosioides - Wormseed/Mexican tea

Chenopodium bonus-henricus L. - Young flower buds are cooked [EMNMPV.7] "Before the introduction of spinach, the broad, succulent leaves were much used as a potherb" "The young shoots have been used as a substitute for asparagus. This potherb should be prepared, cooked, and served the same as spinach." [EWP] "This plant is perfectly edible, and has been used as a food plant since Neolithic times (Mabey. 1972), and was actually cultivated in gardens right into the 19th century (C P Johnson). Evelyn said the tops could be eaten as “sparagus”, but “‘tis insipid enough”. One of the many names given to it is Blite (Prior), or Bleets, as Tusser had it, from a word meaning ‘insipid’, justifying Evelyn’s comment." [DPL Watts]

Chenopodium botrys

Chenopodium californicum

"The roots of C. californicum make excellent soap when used fresh or dried and ground to a powder." [Kirk WEP]

Chenopodium cornutum (Torr.) Benth. and Hook.f. ex Watson - Flowers eaten in Arizona [EMNMPV.7]

Chenopodium fremontii

Chenopodium graveolens

Chenopodium murale

Chenopodium nuttalliae Saff. = & Chenopodium quinoa Willd. - "Flower clusters eaten cooked, used like broccoli; they are considered a gourmet food" [EMNMPV.7]

Chenopodium pallidicaule

"Cañahua ( Chenopodium pallidicaule ) is a remarkably nutritious grain of the high Andes area that is cultivated in small plots in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru and grows well at altitudes of up to 4400 m in the extreme highland environment where wheat, rye, nor corn cannot grow and where even quinoa cannot yield well at the altitudes where cañahua grows.... This Andean grain is perhaps the strongest crop due to its resistance to frost, drought, salt, and pests. At the time of the Conquest, cañahua grain was an important food in the high Andes. Nowadays, it is cultivated in the Peruvian and Bolivian Andean plateau, consumed by local population and bought in Andean markets." [Kristbergsson FPTF]

Chenopodium petiolare

Chenopodium polyspermum

Chenopodium quinoa

"Chenopodium schraderanum Schult. (Chenopodiaceae). goosefoot. Th e Samburu of Kenya used the smoke of burning sticks to drive bees away when collecting their honey (Heine and König 1988a)." [UAPDS]

Chenopodium trigonum

Chenopodium ugandae

Leaves used in Rwanda for "Skin disease and leprosy" [Kuete TSAMP]

Chenopodium urbicum

"The Upright or City Goosefoot, Chenopodium urbicum, and one or two other species of this genus are also used as a substitute for spinach." [EWP]

"The red berries of Chenopodium virgatum (L.) Aschers have been employed in cosmetics." [Middleditch KP]

"Chenopodium vulneraria L. is the source of a yellow dye." [Middleditch KP]

Chenopodium vulvaria - Arrach

Other Information

Fodder: "(many species) is also loved by poultry." [Mollison P2]

Halophyte

"Not only glands but also bladder hairs can remove salts from salt-sensitive metabolic sites. Some halophytes like Atriplex or Chenopodium have vesiculated trichomes on the leaf surface which release the salt back into the environment when they are ruptured." [Pessarakli HPCS]

"The potential capacity of halophytes Chenopodium album and Apocynum lancifolium, has been evaluated for its ability to remove of chloride, sodium, magnesium and calcium ions from the salt-affected soils of Uzbekistan (Hamidov et al. 2007). The authors observed that Chenopodium album was most effective in removing chloride ions (104.5 mg g-1 dry biomass), and sodium (33.6 mg g-1 dry biomass)." [Ozturk PPT]

"Kefu et al. ( 1995 ) reported utilization of halophytes in China as source of starch and protein (species of Zostera, Chenopodium, Atriplex )" [Dagar AMW]

Chenopodium quinoa; "The salinity tolerance mechanism in a salt-tolerant dicotyledonous C3 halophyte plant quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) involves protection of its photosynthetic machinery against oxidative stress in developing leaves due to accumulation of organic osmolytes (Shabala et al., 2012)." [Pessarakli HPCP]

Phytostabilization: Stabilization of contaminants by binding/complexation - Soil, sediments, sludges - Inorganic-metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn) [Dhir PRAPECU]

Aphid Host Plant: "Chenopodium spp. Aphis sp. (Eritrea, BMNH colln); Brachycaudus helichrysi; [Hyalomyzus raoi]; Neomyzus circumflexus; Rhopalosiphoninus staphyleae ssp. tulipaellus; [Semiaphis dauci]; [Thecabius affinis]" [Blackman AWHPS]

Cultivation & Propagation

"The Paiute sowed the seeds of Mentzelia and Chenopodium plants on burned-over ground." [Anderson TTW]

"Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa or Canihua, C. pallidicauda): Grown in S. America ar high altitudes (Peru, Argentina), C.quinoa ripens in 135-145 days, Canihua in 165-172 days. Tolerant of soils and salts. Spring-sown at lo-15 kg/ha (9-13% lb/acre). Birds a problem. Plants are pulled when seed resists finger pressure. Pile in stacks to dry. Good varieties (1000 varieties available), yield 2000-3000 kg/ha ( 1800-2700 lb/acre)" [Mollison P2]

Journals of Interest

References


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