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Common Name: Queensland Bluebush

General Information

Chenopodium auricomum is an annual plant that can grow up to 1.80 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials.

Known Hazards

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. 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[].
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[].

Botanical References

Range

Australia - Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory, New South Wales.

Habitat

Floodplains and swamps on clay soils[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	1.80 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

We have very little information on this species and do not know how well it will grow in Britain, but it should succeed as a spring sown annual. This species was cultivated as a spinach in Britain in the 19th century[], it is an excellent vegetable[]. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus.
An easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils but disliking shade[, ]. It prefers a moderately fertile soil[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked and used like spinach[, , ]. An excellent vegetable[], it has a mild flavour, is palatable and nutritious[, ]. The raw leaves should only be eaten in small quantities, see the notes above on toxicity.
Seed - cooked. Ground and used as a flour in bread etc. 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.

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

Gold/green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant[].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in situ. Most of the seed usually germinates within a few days of sowing.