Atriplex argentea
| Atriplex argentea | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 3' |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Atriplex argentea (common name: silvery orach)
Propagation: Seed - sow April/May in situ. Germination is usually rapid.
Cultivation: We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though it should be possible to grow it as a spring-sown annual. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus.
Succeeds in full sun in any well-drained but not too fertile soil[1]. Most species in this genus tolerate saline and very alkaline soils[1].
Range: N. America - Manitoba and south to California.
Habitat: Alkaline flats[2]. Dry or saline soils[3].
Edibility: Leaves - cooked, or boiled with other foods as a flavouring[4][5][6][7]. The tender young leaves can be used as greens[8][9].
Seed - cooked. It can be ground into a meal and used as a thickener in soups etc, or be mixed with flour when making bread etc[4][9]. The immature seeds can be eaten together with their surrounding calyx[9].
Medicinal: The leaves have been used as a fumigant in the treatment of pain[9]. A poultice of the leaves has been applied to spider bites[9]. A cold infusion of the plant has been used to treat sickness caused by drinking bad water, and to purify the water[9].
A poultice of the chewed roots has been applied to sores and rashes[9]. An infusion of the root has been used in the treatment of stomach aches[9].
Usage: A cold infusion of the plant has been used to purify water[9].
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Monoecious
Known Hazards: No member of this genus contains any toxins, all have more or less edible leaves. However, if grown with artificial fertilizers, they may concentrate harmful amounts of nitrates in their leaves.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ Britton, Nathaniel and Addison Brown. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada. Dover Publications, 1970.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Harrington, Harold. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press, 1967.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Whiting, Alfred. Ethnobotany of the Hopi. North Arizona Society of Science and Art, 1939.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 9.8 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.