About Chenopodium berlandieri Moq.
Chenopodium berlandieri, commonly called pitseed goosefoot, lamb's quarters (lambsquarters), and huauzontle from Nahuatl, is an annual herbaceous plant in the Amaranthaceae family. This species is widespread across North America, with a range stretching from Canada south to Michoacán, Mexico, and it grows in every U.S. state except Hawaii. This fast-growing upright plant can reach heights over 3 meters. It can be distinguished from most other members of its large genus by its honeycomb-pitted seeds, and further separated by its serrated, more or less evenly lobed lower leaves. Though it is widely considered a weed, this species was once one of several plants cultivated by Native Americans in prehistoric North America as part of the Eastern Agricultural Complex. C. berlandieri was a domesticated pseudocereal crop, similar to its close relative quinoa (C. quinoa). It is still cultivated in Mexico today as a pseudocereal, a leaf vegetable, and for its broccoli-like flowering shoots. Chenopodium berlandieri has very little presence in the modern global food system, especially when compared to other species in its genus like Chenopodium quinoa or C. ambrosioides. This lack of presence may stem from a recent Western bias against weedy plants, as well as colonial history that created a disconnect between people and local environments and indigenous knowledge. Today, the plant is still used as an edible herb and vegetable, primarily in Mexico. Its edible parts are leaves, young shoots, and seeds. Like other leafy greens, leaves and shoots can be eaten raw or cooked, though raw leaves are bitter because they contain defensive chemical compounds produced by the plant. The plant can be processed using mechanical and chemical techniques. Mechanical processing includes winnowing to remove non-nutritive components; seeds may also be toasted during the winnowing process, followed by milling to de-husk and separate the seeds. The separated seeds can then be ground into smaller particles to make grits or bulgur, or ground more finely into flour that is mixed with cereal flours to make breads or pancakes. Seeds contain small amounts of saponins, which are removed by soaking seeds in water overnight and rinsing thoroughly before further processing. Chemical processing is another method: gradual controlled heating of seeds detoxifies them, making their nutrients bioavailable for digestion. People with gout, arthritis, rheumatism, kidney stones, or hyperacidity should use caution when consuming this plant, as it may worsen these conditions. Chenopodium berlandieri is an excellent candidate for additional research, particularly research into its potential medicinal uses. Judged strictly by standards of subsistence, long-term use of this plant makes little sense. C. berlandieri shares certain traits with its medicinally useful relative Chenopodium ambrosioides, which is a well-known vermifuge and a potential food preservative. This shared similarity means C. berlandieri may have medicinal value. Its chemical constituents and possible medicinal properties have only been briefly examined in existing anthropological and botanical literature. The useful substances found in the plant's leaves avoid the problems linked to inefficient seed harvesting and processing. Additional testing and analysis of the plant's bioactive chemical compounds would likely answer open questions about Chenopodium berlandieri's use, and the concentration of these compounds may confirm its potential for medicinal use.
