Paleo Foraging

Chenopodium album L.

Synonyms: = Chenopodium alba, C. opulifolium, C. viride

Common name: Lamb’s-quarter, common lamb’s-quarter (after the fondness of sheep for eating the foliage), goosefoot (from the leaf shape), lambsquarters

Apache: ita – “leaf” (Castetter and Opler 1936:61)

Cayuga: gwιʹsgwιs gadiwanoʽgras – “pig eats it” (Waugh 1916:117)

Cree: wīthiniwpakwātik (Leighton 1985:35)

Dakota: waḣpe toto – “greens” (Gilmore 1977:26)

Hopi: cirswa (Fewkes 1896:18) / sü’rswa (Hough 1897:38)
Kiowa: bàtl-sai-añ – “stink-weed,” bàdl-sai-ya-doñ (Vestal and Schultes 1939:25)

Lakota: čanxloğan iŋkpa gmigmela – “small end (of the leaves?) rounded weed” (Munson 1981:233)

Meskwaki: tcakû’ski̥ʰ – “stickers” / askipwawis äpīsane kwäyāwigi (Smith 1928:209)

Mohawk: skanadanu̜wιʽ (Waugh 1916:117)

Navajo: tł’ohteei’tshoh – “grass, seeded, big” (Elmore 1944:44)

Onondaga: ganadano̜ʹʽwiʽ (Waugh 1916:117)
Forest Potawatomi: koko’ʃîbag – “pig leaf” (Smith 1933:98)

Pawnee: kitsarius – “green juice” (Gilmore 1977:26)

Location in Texas: all TX; common in Travis Co.; introduced.

Form: herb; annual.

Food

Leaves – when young, were eaten as greens by the Kiowa (Vestal and Schultes 1939:25), Navajo (Elmore 1944:44, Palmer 1871:419), Hopi (Fewkes 1896:18, Hough 1897:38), Pueblo, Ute, Natives in California (Chesnut 1902, Palmer 1871:419), Tohono O’odham (Castetter and Underhill 1935:16), Teton Dakota, Omaha (Gilmore 1977:26), Hocąk (Kidscher and Hurlburt 1998:365), Menominee (Smith 1923:23), Haudenosaunee (Waugh 1916:117), and Forest Potawatomi (Smith 1933:98).

They were eaten raw, boiled, or cooked with fat or in stews (Castetter and Underhill 1935:16, Chesnut 1902, Elmore 1944:44, Fewkes 1896:18, Gilmore 1977:26, Hough 1897:38, Kidscher and Hurlburt 1998:365, Palmer 1871:419, Waugh 1916:117).

Seeds – were dried and ground into flour for bread or mush by the Kiowa (Vestal and Schultes 1939:25), Navajo (Elmore 1944:44), and other Natives (Palmer 1871:419).

GS – leaves: spring (Smith 1923:23).

Medicine

Roots – an infusion or decoction was drunk by the Meskwaki for “allaying itching at the place of the passage of urine” (Smith 1928:209).

Whole plant – a decoction was drunk by the Lakota to treat dysentery in children (Munson 1981:233). A decoction was drunk or used as a wash by the Cree to treat painful limbs (Leighton 1985:35). It was eaten by the Forest Potawatomi to cure or prevent scurvy (Smith 1933:42).

Material

Aboveground parts (dye) – a decoction of the plant was applied to Pawnee bows and arrows to give them a green color (Gilmore 1977: 26).

Experimentation

I have eaten the foliage of this plant many times. It is quite palatable and tender, even the older foliage. It makes an excellent substitute for spinach.

The plant is very hardy and adventitious. Once one seeds out in an area, it will continue to produce seedlings all over for a long time.

Note – contrary to this USDA map, Chenopodium album is actually present in Travis Co., TX., and not uncommon there.

Note the whitish tint of the leaves towards the stem. This is the source of its specific epithet, album (alba=white). Chenopodium giganteum has pink instead of white.