Blitum nuttallianum,[1] (syn. Monolepis nuttalliana) is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family known by the common names povertyweed[2] and Nuttall's povertyweed.[3] It is native to North America, where it is widespread and common from Alaska to Mexico to New England. It can be found in many types of habitat, including disturbed areas, often favoring wet places. It is a fleshy annual herb producing two or more erect, reddish, hairless stems up to about 40 centimeters tall. The thick lance-shaped or arrowhead-shaped leaves are up to 4 centimeters in length.[4] Clusters of several rounded flowers each appear in the leaf axils and yield small fruits about 2 millimeters wide.
| Blitum nuttallianum | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Amaranthaceae |
| Genus: | Blitum |
| Species: | B. nuttallianum
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| Binomial name | |
| Blitum nuttallianum | |
| Synonyms | |
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Many Native American groups used this plant as a medicine and a food.[5] Southwestern tribes ground the seeds, combining them with mesquite beans and corn. The roots are edible, and the young stems are edible when cooked.[4]
References
edit- ^ Susy Fuentes-Bazan, Pertti Uotila, Thomas Borsch: A novel phylogeny-based generic classification for Chenopodium sensu lato, and a tribal rearrangement of Chenopodioideae (Chenopodiaceae). In: Willdenowia 42, 2012, p. 17.
- ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
- ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Monolepis nuttalliana". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ^ a b Elias, Thomas S.; Dykeman, Peter A. (2009) [1982]. Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods. New York: Sterling. p. 75. ISBN 978-1-4027-6715-9. OCLC 244766414.
- ^ Ethnobotany
External links
edit
- Jepson Manual treatment
- Monolepis in the CalPhotos photo database, University of California, Berkeley
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