Common Name:

General Information

Calandrinia breweri is a prostrate to ascending, much-branched annual plant; it can grow 10 - 45cm tall[].
The plant is quite likely harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

The plant contains oxalic acid, so it should only be used in moderation[]. Oxalic acid can lock up certain of the nutrients in food and, if eaten in excess, can lead to nutritional deficiencies. It is, however, perfectly safe in small amounts and its acid taste adds a nice flavour to salads. Cooking the plant will reduce the quantity of oxalic acid. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones and hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition[].

Botanical References

Range

Southwest N. America - California, Baja California

Habitat

Sandy to loamy soils, disturbed places, especially burns; at elevations from 20 - 1,100 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.25 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a hot sunny situation on a poor dry sandy soil[]. Plants grow best in sandy to loamy soils with low to moderate nutrient availability[]. Established plants are moderately drought tolerant[].
Plants are intolerant of root disturbance, they are best treated as half-hardy annuals and sown in situ in late spring[].

Edible Uses

We have no specific information on this plant being used for food, but it is very closely related to Calandrinia ciliata (and has at times been treated as a form of that species). It almost certainly has the same uses as Calandrinia ciliata, which are detailed below[]:-

Leaves and young shoots - raw, cooked or used as a garnish[, ]. A tasty salad[]. The whole plant is cooked and eaten like spinach, and is said to be one of the best of the wild pot herbs[].
The leaves contain oxalic acid and so some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Seed - raw or ground into a meal[, ]. The seed can also be cooked as a piñole[]. The seed is very small and fiddly to harvest, especially since it ripens intermittently over a period of several weeks[]. However, it is rich in oil and was often collected in large quantities by native North American Indian tribes[].
One method of harvesting was to pull the plants up and spread them out on a clean area to dry. The seeds were
separated by shaking or hitting the plants over the cleaned area or into a basket. Then they were placed into a tightly woven winnowing basket where they were tossed, allowing the moving air to remove any chaff. The seeds were then dried for storage or parched in a cooking basket along with hot coals. The parched seeds were pulverized in bedrock mortars into an oily meal, which was then prepared into balls and cakes[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown in situ in spring since it strongly resents root disturbance. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 3 weeks at 20°c[].