Chenopodium botrys
Jerusalem Oak
an annual member of the Chenopodium genus in the family Chenopodiaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Chenopodiaceae
- Genus
- Chenopodium
- Life cycle
- annual
- Height
- 0.6 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 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[10].
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Leaves - cooked[3][6][7]. A popular vegetable[2] (the report does not say where!). The raw leaves should only be eaten in small quantities, see the notes above on toxicity. Seed - cooked. It can be ground into a meal and used with flour in making bread etc[3][6]. 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 leaves are a tea substitute[7].
- 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.
The plant is antiasthmatic. It is also used in the treatment of catarrh[4]. The plant has been used as an anthelmintic as a substitute for C. ambrosioides[11][13]. It contains 0.04% essential oil, but this oil does not contain the active ingredient ascaridol[11].
- Product or use
- Anthelmintic
- Product or use
- Antiasthmatic
Material uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Gold/green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant[5]. The dried plant is a moth repellent. The aromatic and ornamental flower spikes are used[1][16][8]. The whole plant is very aromatic and is used as a scent in pillows, bags, baskets etc[9][13].
- Product or use
- Dye
- Product or use
- Essential
- Product or use
- Repellent
Environment
- Range
- S. Europe to C. Asia.
- Habitat
- Waste places, roadsides and disturbed soil in eastern N. America[15]. Valleys, river terraces, around houses and roadsides in Tibet[14].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- moderate
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - sow spring in situ. Most of the seed usually germinates within a few days of sowing.
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
An easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils but disliking shade[1][8]. It prefers a moderately fertile soil[8]. The Jerusalem oak is occasionally cultivated for its edible leaves, there is at least one named variety, developed in the Netherlands. 'Green Magic' is a cultivar with a delicious nutty flavour[7]. It can be harvested just 31 days after sowing[7]. The dried flower spikes are aromatic and ornamental[1][8]. The leaves emit an agreeable aromatic smell when they are handled[12].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00
Coon. N. The Dictionary of Useful Plants. Rodale Press 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-87857-090-x
Singh. Dr. G. and Kachroo. Prof. Dr. P. Forest Flora of Srinagar. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 1976-00-00
Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-02-544950-8
Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169
Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6
Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
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
Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00
Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968-00-00