This species is very closely related to Chenopodium album and has been confused with it in the past.

Common Name: Southern Huauzontle

General Information

Chenopodium berlandieri is an annual plant growing up to 1.2 metres tall.
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for its edible seed and leaves, which are eaten locally.

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[].

Botanical References

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Range

C. America - Guatemala, north through N. America to the Yukon and Alaska

Habitat

Open soil[]. Mud-flats at elevations of 10 - 200 metres in Texas and Mexico[]. Occasional as a weed in cultivated ground, in streets, on sandbars, or along roadsides, at elevations of 1,300 - 2,200 metres in Guatemala[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	1.20 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

An extremely versatile plant, found from the cold temperate regions of the far north of N. America to moderate elevations in the tropical areas of C. America.
An easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils but disliking shade[, ]. It prefers a moderately fertile soil[].

Edible Uses

Leaves and young shoots - raw, or cooked like spinach[, , , ]. The raw leaves should only be eaten in small quantities, see the notes above on toxicity[].

Seed - ground into a powder and used with cereal flours for making bread or gruel[, , ]. The seed should be soaked in water overnight and thoroughly rinsed before it is used in order to remove any saponins.

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

Gold/green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant[].

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ. Most of the seed usually germinates within a few days of sowing.

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