Montia fontana subsp. amporitana

Sennen

Montiaceae Edible: Leaves, Stem 2,965 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Montia fontana, blinks is a herbaceous annual to perennial plant that grows in freshwater springs in upland regions, and in seasonally damp acid grassland in the lowlands. It is widespread throughout the world, except in southern Asia. It is rather variable in morphology, which is reflected in a complex history of taxonomy. Currently, there are three accepted subspecies which are defined largely by the appearance of the seedcoat. It is edible and consumed as a salad in some areas, but is otherwise of minimal economic impact. Because of its association with clean water habitats, it is often viewed as a species of conservation value.

Description

A herb. It grows 10-20 cm tall.

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Edible Uses

Blinks is edible and is gathered in the wild and used as a salad vegetable in Spain and Portugal, but it is not currently cultivated. It is high in fibre and is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids.

Distribution

It is a temperate to Mediterranean plant.

Where It Grows

Europe, Spain, Switzerland,

Synonyms

Montia limosa DeckerMontia lusitanica Samp.Montia rivularis C. C. Gmel.

Also Known As

Pamplina

References (1)

Blanco-Salas, J., et al, 2019, Wild Plants Potentially Used in Human Food in the Protected Area “Sierra Grande de Hornachos” of Extremadura (Spain). Sustainability 2019, 11, 456