Plantae > Tracheophyta > Magnoliopsida > Caryophyllales > Amaranthaceae > Chenopodium berlandieri > Chenopodium berlandieri nuttalliaeChenopodium berlandieri nuttalliae (quinoa)Synonyms: Chenopodium nuttalliae | Allergen Potential [1] | High |  | | Edible [2] | May be edible. See the Plants For A Future link below for details. | | Flower Type [2] | Hermaphrodite | | Hazards [2] | 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; | | Lifespan [2] | Annual | | Pollinators [2] | Wind, Bats | | Structure [3] | Herb | | Usage [2] | Gold/green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant;
Saponins on the seed can be used as a bird and insect deterrent by spraying them on growing plants; The saponins are obtained by saving the soak-water used when preparing the seed for eating. The spray remains effective for a few weeks or until washed off by rain; | | | Height [2] | 4.92 feet (1.5 m) | | Width [2] | 10 inches (0.25 m) |
View Plants For A Future Record : Chenopodium berlandieri nuttalliae |
| Name |
IUCN Category |
Area acres |
Location |
Species |
Website |
Climate |
Land Use |
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South Wight Maritime |
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49082 |
England, United Kingdom |
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Species taxanomy provided by GBIF Secretariat (2022). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org on 2023-06-13; License: CC BY 4.0
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