Summer Cypress, Burningbush

Bassia scoparia

Physical Characteristics

Bassia scoparia is a ANNUAL growing to 0.3 m (1ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in September, and the seeds ripen in October. The flowers are pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Distribution

Europe to Western N. America.

Habitats

Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves Seed Edible Uses: Young leaves - cooked[105, 177]. A delicious taste, they are used as a vegetable[179]. A nutritional analysis is available[218]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity. Seed - dried and ground into a powder then mixed with cereals when making bread, biscuits etc[61, 105, 177]. Very small and fiddly to use, it is also not a very reliable crop in Britain due to its late season of flowering[K]. On a zero moisture basis, the seed contains 20.4 - 27.5% protein, 8.8 - 16% fat and 3.4 - 9.4% ash[218]. In Japan the seeds are used a food garnish called tonburi. Taste, Processing & Kitchen Notes: Raw or boiled leaves taste bitter-astringent, alkaline, and resinous; repeated boiling cannot fully remove harsh overtones. Wild seeds have an acrid, dusty quinoa-like flavor; repeated soaking and boiling barely improves them. Cultivated tonburi (Akita Prefecture, Japan) undergoes: 1. Drying ripe seeds, 2. Boiling, 3. Soaking 24 h cold, 4. Hand-rubbing to remove coats, 5. Re-soaking in vinegar water ? mild, green, caviar-textured seed with taste akin to asparagus/artichoke. Wild American seed seldom achieves this quality due to smaller size, higher alkalinity, and excess resins.

Medicinal Uses

Antibacterial Antifungal Antiphlogistic Astringent Cardiotonic Diuretic Dysentery Eczema Skin Urinary Antibacterial, antifungal[178]. The leaves and fruits are cardiotonic and diuretic[218, 240]. The stems are used in the treatment of dysentery, diarrhoea and dyspepsia[218]. The seed is antiphlogistic, astringent and diuretic[176, 218]. It is used to treat skin infections such as eczema ad scabies, and diseases of the urinary tract[176, 218, 279]. The seed contains harmine, which can have adverse effects upon the gastro-intestinal tract and the central nervous system[279].

Known Hazards

Plants contain some saponins and should not be eaten in large quantities. Saponins are a toxin found in many of our daily foods such as many beans. They are usually present in quantities too small to be concerned about and are also very poorly absorbed by the body, tending to pass straight through without causing any problems. 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].