Chenopodium polyspermum
| Chenopodium polyspermum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Mid Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Chenopodium polyspermum (common name: all-seed)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in situ. Most of the seed usually germinates within a few days of sowing.
Cultivation: An easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils but disliking shade[1][2]. It prefers a moderately fertile soil[2].
Range: Most of Europe, including Britain, eastwards to Asia.
Habitat: Waste places and cultivated ground[3].
Edibility: Leaves - cooked and used like spinach[4][5]. The raw leaves should only be eaten in small quantities, see the notes above on toxicity.
Seed - ground into a powder and added to wheat flour or other cereals in making bread etc. It is best to soak the seed overnight and rinse it thoroughly before use. Small and quite fiddly to use.
Usage: Gold/green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant[6].
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.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Loewenfeld, Claire and Philippa Back. Britain's Wild Larder. David and Charles.
- ↑ Komarov, Vladimir. Flora of the USSR. Gantner Verlag, 1968.
- ↑ Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.