Madia sativa
| Madia sativa | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Madia sativa (common name: chile tarweed)
Propagation: Seed - sow in mid spring in situ and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within a couple of weeks.
Cultivation: An easily grown plant[1], it succeeds in any good garden soil[2]. Prefers a deep open sharply drained soil in a sunny position[3].
This species is sometimes cultivated in Europe for the oil in its seed[1].
The flowers open in the morning or evening, closing when exposed to bright sunlight[3].
Range: S. America - Chile.
Habitat: Sand, gravel, open grassland and disturbed soils[4].
Edibility: Seed - raw or cooked[5]. Although quite small, the seed was a staple food for some native North American Indian tribes[5]. Rich in oil, it can be roasted then ground into a powder and eaten dry, mixed with water, or combined with cereal flours[6][6][7][5]. The seed was also used as piñole[5].
The seed contains about 41% of a sweet edible oil, about 28% can be extracted from the seed in an oil press[1][8][9]. Of a high quality, it can be used as a substitute for olive oil[1][7]. The oil does not solidify until the temperature drops to -11°c[10].
Usage: The seed is rich in an oil which is a good substitute for olive oil. It does not solidify until the temperature is lower than -11°c. A good lubricant, the oil is also used in soap making[6][10].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Monoecious
Also Known As: M. viscosa.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Moore, David. Flora of Tierra del Fuego. Anthony Nelson, 1983.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Sweet, Muriel. Common Edible and Useful Plants of the West. Naturegraph Co, 1962.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Saunders, Charles. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications, 1976.