California Goosefoot

Chenopodium californicum

Physical Characteristics

Chenopodium californicum is a ANNUAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft). It is in flower from July to October, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

Distribution

South-western N. America - California.

Habitats

Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves Seed Shoots Edible Uses: Gum 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

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].

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].