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Chenopodium californicum - Watson.

Common Name

California Goosefoot

Family

Chenopodiaceae

Synonyms

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[K]. 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[238].

Habitats

Dry to moist slopes, ledges, plains, yellow-pine forests, yucca-juniper woodlands, chaparral and under oaks and willows at elevations of 30 - 1500 metres[270].

Range

South-western N. America - California.

Edibility Rating

Medicinal Rating

Care

Summary

Physical Characteristics
ANNUAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft). It is in flower from Jul to October, and the seeds ripen from Aug to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Wind. The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils.The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils..It cannot grow in the shade.It requires dry or moist soil.




Brother Alfred Brousseau @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

Habitats
Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves; Seed.

Leaves and young shoots - cooked. Used like spinach[257]. The raw leaves should only be eaten in small quantities, see the notes above on toxicity. Seed - cooked[105, 161]. The seed is usually dried then ground into a powder and used with cereal flours in making bread etc[257]. The seed is small and fiddly, it should be soaked in water overnight and thoroughly rinsed before it is used in order to remove any saponins. The milky sap has been used to make a gum[257].

Medicinal Uses
Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally. Poultice; Stomachic. A decoction of the whole plant has been used to treat stomach disorders[257]. A decoction of the root has been applied as a poultice on numbed or paralysed limbs[257].

Other Uses
Gum; Dye; Soap. Gold/green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant[168]. The root is saponaceous[46, 61, 92, 95]. The scraped root is mixed with water to produce a detergent foam that can be used for washing the body, clothes etc[257].

Cultivation details

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it could succeed outdoors in many parts of this country. It is likely to require a well-drained soil in a sunny position. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. An easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils but disliking shade[1, 200]. It prefers a moderately fertile soil[200].

Propagation
Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Put a few seeds into each pot and thin if necessary to the best plant. Germination is normally fast and good. Plant out in late spring, after the last expected frosts. Division in spring.

Expert comment

Author
Watson.

Botanical References
71270

Links / References

[1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956

Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[46]Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants.

An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[61]Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.

Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[92]Balls. E. K. Early Uses of Californian Plants.

A nice readable book.

[95]Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada.

Useful wild plants of America. A pocket guide.

[105]Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.

The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[161]Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237.

A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.

[168]Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants.

A very good and readable book on dyeing.

[200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.

Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[257]Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany

Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

[270] Flora of N. America

An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.

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Subject : Chenopodium californicum

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