Chenopodium foliosum

Annual herb reaching 0.6 m tall. Hardy to UK zone 5. Flowers July to October with seeds ripening August to October. Hermaphroditic and wind-pollinated. Grows in light, medium, or heavy soils across mildly acidic to basic pH ranges. Requires full sun and moist conditions.

Description

An annual herb. It grows 20-70 cm tall. It often has several stems. It can be erect or sprawling. The leaves have irregular lobes and are almost triangle shaped. They are 7-10 cm long and have a pointed tip. The leaves are dark green above and are paler underneath. The flowers are small and 4 mm wide. They occur in clusters on the main stem. They are a greenish-yellow colour. Plants contain both sexes and they are pollinated by wind. The fruit are like berries. There are many small drupelets in a tight cluster. The fruit are bright red. They are 1-1.5 cm wide. The fruit can be juicy.

Edible Uses

The leaves are cooked and used as a spinach substitute, though raw leaves should only be eaten in small quantities due to toxicity concerns. The fruit, about 12mm in diameter, can be eaten raw, though it is fairly insipid despite being visually attractive. The seed, roughly 1mm in diameter, is very small and fiddly but can be ground into a powder and added to cereal flours for making bread. Before grinding, soak the seed for 12 hours and rinse thoroughly to remove saponins.

Traditional Uses

The fruit have little flavour but can be used as a garnish on sweet or savoury dishes. They are eaten fresh. They are also boiled with milk. The leaves are usually lightly boiled then eaten. It is used as a pot-herb.

Medicinal Uses

None known.

Known Hazards

Sphaeraphides occur in the leaves, stem, pith and mesophloem.

Distribution

It is a cool temperate plant. It grows naturally in mountainous regions in Central and Southern Europe. It cannot tolerate frost but is grown as an annual. It needs full sun. They grow best in fertile soil. In the Indian Himalayas it grows between 1,200-2,300 m above sea level

Where It Grows

Armenia, Asia, Australia, Britain, Caucasus, China, Europe, Georgia, Himalayas, India, Moldova, Nepal, North Africa, North America, Pakistan, South Africa, Southern Africa, Tasmania, Turkey, Türkiye, Ukraine, USA,

Cultivation

Plants are usually grown from seed. Seeds can be broadcast and grow in 7-14 days. Seedlings can be transplanted. A spacing of 30-50 cm is suitable.

Propagation

Sow seed in spring in situ. Most of the seed usually germinates within a few days of sowing.

Other Uses

Gold and green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant.

Production

It grows easily.

Notes

There are about 100-150-250 Chenopodium species. They are mostly in temperate regions. Also put in the family Chenopodiaceae.

Nutrition

Synonyms

Also Known As

Ban palak, Beetberry, It uzumu, Joasag, Kaz aya, Khorrach, Kupald, Kusuzumu, Matuta, Raske ruvi, Sangsti, Sneou, Strawberry sticks, Tirye ruvi

References (33)

• Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 119 (As Chenopodium blitum)
• Ari, S., et al, 2015, Ethnobotanical survey of plants used in Afyonkarahisar-Turkey. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 11:84
• Baker, M. L. & de Salas, M. F., 2012, A Census of the Vascular Plants of Tasmania. (On line)
• Bussman, R. W., et al, 2016, A comparative ethnobotany of Khevsureti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Tusheti, Svaneti, and Racha-Lechkhumi, Republic of Georgia (Sakartvelo), Caucasus. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (2016) 12:43
• Bussman, R. W., et al, 2021, Unity in diversity—food plants and fungi of Sakartvelo (Republic of Georgia), Caucasus. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (2021) 17:72 p 4 (As Blitum virgatum)

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