Practical
Plants

Chenopodium ambrosioides

Mexican Tea

an annual or perennial member of the Chenopodium genus in the family Chenopodiaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
annual, perennial
Height
1 m
Spread
0.7 m
Fertility
Wind
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Wind

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 essential oil in the seed and flowering plant is highly toxic. In excess it can cause dizziness, vomiting, convulsions and even death[14][15]. The plant can also cause dermatitis or other allergic reactions[14]. 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 plant will reduce its 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[15].

Edible uses

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

Leaves - cooked[9]. The tender leaves are sometimes used as a potherb[8]. Used as a condiment in soups etc[21][24][2], they are said to reduce flatulence if eaten with beans[8]. The leaves have a rank taste due to the presence of resinous dots and sticky hairs[25]. The raw leaves should only be eaten in small quantities, see the notes above on toxicity. Seed - cooked[2][5]. 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. An infusion of the leaves is a tea substitute[8].

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Seed
Product or use
Tea

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

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

Mexican tea is a Central American herb that has been used for centuries to expel parasitic worms from the body[18]. The whole plant is analgesic, antiasthmatic, carminative, stomachic and vermifuge[1][20][12][23][3][4][7]. An infusion can be used as a digestive remedy, being taken to settle a wide range of problems such colic and stomach pains[18]. Externally, it has been used as a wash for haemorrhoids, as a poultice to detoxify snake bites and other poisons and is thought to have wound-healing properties[18]. Use with caution and preferably under the supervision of a qualified practitioner[12][15]. This remedy should not be prescribed for pregnant women[15]. See also the notes above on toxicity. Until fairly recently, this was one of the most commonly used vermifuges, though it has now been largely replaced by synthetic drugs[14]. The seed, or an essential oil expressed from the seed, was used[13]. It is very effective against most parasites, including the amoeba that causes dysentery, but is less effective against tapeworm[13][15]. Fasting should not precede its use and there have occasionally been cases of poisoning caused by this treatment[13]. The oil is used externally to treat athlete's foot and insect bites[15]. One report says that it is an essential oil that is utilised[16]. This is obtained from the seed or the flowering stems, it is at its highest concentration in the flowering stems before seed is set, these contain around 0.7% essential oil of which almost 50% is the active vermifuge ascaridol[16]. The essential oil is of similar quality from plants cultivated in warm climates and those in cool climates[16]. The leaves are added in small quantities as a flavouring for various cooked bean dishes because their carminative activity can reduce flatulence[14].

Product or use
Analgesic
Product or use
Antiasthmatic
Product or use
Antifungal
Product or use
Carminative
Product or use
Stomachic
Product or use
Vermifuge

Material uses

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

The plant is used as a fumigant against mosquitoes and is also added to fertilizers to inhibit insect larvae[15]. Gold/green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant[6].

Product or use
Dye
Product or use
Insecticide

Environment

Range
Tropical America. Naturalized in S. Europe[22].
Habitat
Mainly found on dry wasteland and cultivated ground[11][19].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - whilst it can be sown in situ in mid to late spring, we have had better results by sowing the seed in a cold frame in early spring. Put a few seeds in each pot and thin to the best plant if necessary. Germination rates are usually very good and the seedlings should appear within a few days of sowing the seed. Plant out in late spring, after the last expected frosts.

Cultivation

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

An easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils but disliking shade[1][10]. It prefers a moderately fertile soil[10]. Tolerates a pH in the range 5.2 to 8.3. Plants are annuals or short-lived perennials[15]. They are not very hardy when grown outdoors in Britain and so are best grown as an annual[15]. Plants have often self-sown freely in our Cornish trial grounds, but the seed often germinates in the autumn and then does not manage to survive the winter[15]. This species is sometimes grown as a medicinal and culinary plant, especially in its native Mexico. The sub-species C. ambrosioides anthelminticum is more active medicinally and is the form most often cultivated for its vermicidal activity[15]. The bruised leaves emit an unpleasant foetid odour[17].

References

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

    ↩1↩2

  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  3. Singh. Dr. G. and Kachroo. Prof. Dr. P. Forest Flora of Srinagar. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 1976-00-00

    ↩

  4. ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X

    ↩

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

    ↩

  6. Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-02-544950-8

    ↩

  7. Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952-00-00

    ↩

  8. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  9. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

  11. Livingstone. B. Flora of Canada National Museums of Canada 1978-00-00 ISBN 0-660-00025-3

    ↩

  12. Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-553-23827-2

    ↩1↩2

  13. Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980-00-00 ISBN 0-449-90589-6

    ↩1↩2↩3

  14. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9↩10↩11

  16. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  17. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

    ↩

  18. Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996-00-00 ISBN 9-780751-303148

    ↩1↩2↩3

  19. Stuart. M. (Editor) The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism Orbis Publishing. London. 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-85613-067-2

    ↩

  20. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩

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

    ↩

  22. ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964-00-00

    ↩

  23. Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.

    ↩

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

    ↩

  25. Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967-00-00 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9

    ↩

Edit this page