Lamb's quarters, Quelite
| Botanical Name | Chenopodium album |
| Common Name | Lamb's quarters, Quelite |
| Family | Chenopodiaceae - Goosefoot |
| Description | This fast-growing, weedy annual’s stem is erect, many- branched and often striped with red, pink or purple. The leaves are alternate and vary in shape. Many leaves have the typical goosefoot shape. Often the underside is white to grayish and scruffy. In the fall the leaves turn a crimson color. Typically this plant becomes recumbent after flowering due to the weight of the foliage and seeds. |
| Mature Size | 1’ – 5’. |
| Bloom | From mid summer to frost, small inconspicuous greenish-gray scruffy flowers with no petals appear in balls in the axils and at the tips of branches. There are very numerous dark gray to black, shiny seeds. |
| Interesting Facts | This plant is a native of Europe. The common name Lambs quarters may be a corruption of Lammas quarter, an ancient festival in the English calendar. Quelite can mean any of a number of different plants eaten in Mexico for their leaves. The pollen of this plant can contribute to hay fever-like allergies. |
| Traditional and Medicinal Uses | The seeds are a source of protein and have been used in bread and porridge. Quinoa is a closely related species which is grown specifically for its seeds. The greens have also been eaten. But according to one website this plant can cause sickness in livestock and humans if large quantities are eaten. It has been used to treat a variety of ailments. |
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Photos for SFBG by Janice Tucker
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