Chenopodium californicum
| Chenopodium californicum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Mid Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Chenopodium californicum (common name: california goosefoot)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Put a few seeds into each pot and thin if necessary to the best plant. Germination is normally fast and good. Plant out in late spring, after the last expected frosts.
Division in spring.
Cultivation: We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it could succeed outdoors in many parts of this country. It is likely to require a well-drained soil in a sunny position. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus.
An easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils but disliking shade[1][2]. It prefers a moderately fertile soil[2].
Range: South-western N. America - California.
Habitat: Dryish slopes and plains below 1500 metres, to the edges of deserts[3].
Edibility: Leaves and young shoots - cooked. Used like spinach[4]. The raw leaves should only be eaten in small quantities, see the notes above on toxicity.
Seed - cooked[5][6]. The seed is usually dried then ground into a powder and used with cereal flours in making bread etc[4]. The seed is small and fiddly, it should be soaked in water overnight and thoroughly rinsed before it is used in order to remove any saponins.
The milky sap has been used to make a gum[4].
Medicinal: A decoction of the whole plant has been used to treat stomach disorders[4].
A decoction of the root has been applied as a poultice on numbed or paralysed limbs[4].
Usage: Gold/green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant[7].
The root is saponaceous[8][9][10][11]. The scraped root is mixed with water to produce a detergent foam that can be used for washing the body, clothes etc[4].
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known 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 mos
Links
References
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Munz, David. A California Flora. University of California Press, 1959.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Balls, Edward. Early Uses of Californian Plants. University of California Press, 1975.
- ↑ Saunders, Charles. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications, 1976.