Practical
Plants

Calandrinia ciliata menziesii

Redmaids

an annual member of the Calandrinia genus in the family Portulacaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
annual
Height
0.1 m
Spread
0.15 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The plant contains oxalic acid, so it should only be used in moderation[4]. Oxalic acid can lock up certain of the nutrients in food and, if eaten in excess, can lead to nutritional deficiencies. It is, however, perfectly safe in small amounts and its acid taste adds a nice flavour to salads. Cooking the plant will reduce the quantity of oxalic acid. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones and hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition[7].

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Leaves and young shoots - raw, cooked or used as a garnish[9][10][12]. The leaves contain oxalic acid and so some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity. Seed - raw or ground into a meal[2][5]. The seed can also be cooked as a piñole[8]. The seed is very small and fiddly to harvest, especially since it ripens intermittently over a period of several weeks[K]. However, it is rich in oil and was often collected in large quantities by native North American Indian tribes[8].

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Seed

Environment

Range
South-western N. America - California.
Habitat
Open grassy places and cultivated fields[11].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown in situ in spring since it strongly resents root disturbance. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 3 weeks at 20°c[3].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a hot sunny situation on a poor dry sandy soil[6]. Plants are intolerant of root disturbance, they are best treated as half-hardy annuals and sown in situ[1].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Coon. N. The Dictionary of Useful Plants. Rodale Press 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-87857-090-x

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  3. Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan. 1989-00-00

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  4. Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-00-634436-4

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  5. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

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  6. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

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  7. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

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  8. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2

  9. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

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  10. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

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  11. Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959-00-00

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  12. Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-486-23310-3

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