Chenopodium polyspermum
L.
All-seed
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Nikolay V Dorofeev, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Евгений Феликсович Епифанов Evgeniy F. Epifanov, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Евгений Феликсович Епифанов Evgeniy F. Epifanov, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Summary
Source: WikipediaAnnual herb reaching 0.9 m tall with wind-pollinated hermaphroditic flowers from July to October and seed maturation August to October. Grows in light sandy, medium loamy, or heavy clay soils across mildly acid to basic pH ranges. Requires full sun and moist conditions.
Description
A herb. It grows each year from seeds. It can be upright or lie along the ground. The stems are square and often red. The leaves are oval. The flowers are yellow.
Edible Uses
Leaves can be cooked and used like spinach, though raw leaves should only be eaten in small quantities due to toxicity concerns. The seed can be ground into a powder and blended with wheat flour or other cereals for making bread and similar foods. Before use, soak the seed overnight and rinse it thoroughly. The seeds are small and quite fiddly to work with.
Traditional Uses
The leaves are used in pies and soup. They are roasted or fried with onion. They can be cooked and eaten as a vegetable.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Medicinal Uses
None known.
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 most pass straight through without any problem. They are also broken down to a large extent in the cooking process. Saponins are found in many foods, such as some beans. Saponins are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish. The plants also contain some oxalic acid, which in large quantities can lock up some of the nutrients in the food. However, even considering this, they are very nutritious vegetables in reasonable quantities. Cooking the plants will reduce their content of oxalic acid. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition.
Distribution
It is a temperate plant. It grows on waste ground.
Where It Grows
Asia, Balkans, Britain, Bulgaria, Europe, Indochina, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mediterranean, North America, Poland, SE Asia, Slovenia, Turkey, Türkiye, USA, Vietnam,
Cultivation
An easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils but disliking shade. It prefers a moderately fertile soil.
Propagation
Sow seed in spring directly in situ. Most of the seed typically germinates within a few days of sowing.
Other Uses
Gold and green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant.
Other Information
It is sold in markets in Turkey.
Notes
There are about 100-150-250 Chenopodium species. They are mostly in temperate regions. Also put in the family Chenopodiaceae.
Synonyms
Also Known As
Komosa, Sirken, Sladak buren.
References (12)
- Cerne, M., 1992, Wild Plants from Slovenia used as Vegetables. Acta Horticulturae 318
- Dogan, Y., et al, 2004, The Use of Wild Edible Plants in Western and Central Anatolia (Turkey). Economic Botany 58(4) pp. 684-690
- Dogan, Y., 2012, Traditionally used wild edible greens in the Aegean Region of Turkey. Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae 81(4): 329-342
- Ertug, F, Yenen Bitkiler. Resimli Türkiye Florası -I- Flora of Turkey - Ethnobotany supplement
- Irving, M., 2009, The Forager Handbook, A Guide to the Edible Plants of Britain. Ebury Press p 191
Show all 12 references Hide references
- Luczaj, L., 2010, Changes in the utilization of wild green vegetables in Poland since the 19th century: A comparison of four ethnobotanical surveys. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 128 (2010) 395–404
- Lukasz, L., 2016, Wild Edible Plants Traditionally Used in Poland.
- Morley, B. & Everard, B., 1970, Wild Flowers of the World. Ebury press. Plate 14
- Nedelcheva A., 2013, An ethnobotanical study of wild edible plants in Bulgaria. EurAsian Journal of BioSciences 7, 77-94
- Paoletti, M.G., Dreon, A.L., and Lorenzoni, G.G., 1995, Pistic, Traditional Food from Western Friuli, NE Italy. Economic Botany 49(1) pp 26-30
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
- Sp. pl. 1:220. 1753
