Chenopodium album (Fat hen, Goosefoot, Lamb's quarters)

Misbredie [Afrikaans]; imbilikicane [Xhosa, Zulu]

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) > Core Eudicots > Order: Caryophyllales > Family: Amaranthaceae; > Subfamily: Chenopodioideae > Genus: Chenopodium

A cosmopolitan weed with a wide distribution in southern Africa. The fresh leaves and young twigs are cooked and eaten as a vegetable (in the same way as spinach) in many parts of the world, including southern Africa.

Chenopodium ambrosioides, Chenopodium murale and Chenopodium glaucum are used as a spinach-like vegetable, in the same way as Chenopodium album.

Great care needs to be taken in not confusing the seedlings of Chenopodium with those of the poisonous Nicotiana glauca (Wild tobacco). People can, and have, died from making this mistake.

Publications

• van Wyk, B.-E. 2005. Food Plants of the World - Identification, Culinary Uses and Nutritional Value. Briza, Pretoria.

• van Wyk, B.-E. & Gericke, N. 2000. People's Plants. A Guide to Useful Plants of Southern Africa. Briza Publications, Pretoria.