Common Madia, Showy tarweed, Spring madia, Wheeler's tarweed

Madia elegans

Physical Characteristics

Madia elegans is a ANNUAL growing to 1.5 m (5ft). It is in flower from July to August, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Distribution

Western N. America.

Habitats

Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Seed Edible Uses: Seed - raw or cooked[105, 161, 257]. Although quite small, the seed was a staple food for some native North American Indian tribes[257]. Rich in oil, it can be roasted then ground into a powder and eaten dry, mixed with water, or combined with cereal flours[105, 161, 257]. The seed was also used as piñole[105, 257].

Medicinal Uses

None known

Known Hazards

None known