Plants the Prairie Goosefoots

PLANTS THE PRAIRIE GOOSEFOOTS DIANA BIZECKI ROBSON, The Manitoba Museum, 190 Rupert Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3B 0N2, E-mail: <[email protected]> Introduction to the variable nature of the leaves, and In this article I will: (1) discuss the close examination of the fruits is often taxonomy, habitat, distribution, status needed for confirmation. and economic impact of the goosefoot (Chenopodium) genus, (2) describe Habitat and Distribution the general characteristics of the Goosefoot species occur mainly in goosefoots, and (3) present a dry, saline and disturbed habitats. taxonomic treatment of the genus They have a number of adaptations consisting of a dichotomous key and that make this possible. Succulent descriptions of those species found leaves store water for use in times of in the Canadian prairies. All of the drought and narrow leaves have less species described also occur in the surface area from which water can United States. evaporate, both of which increase water use efficiency. 3-13 An annual The common name goosefoot habit means that goosefoot seeds can refers to both the family remain dormant until conditions are Chenopodiaceae and the genus moist enough to support their growth. Chenopodium. In this paper, it will refer Many goosefoot species also are to the latter. The common name tolerant of saline conditions. Surviving goosefoot is a literal translation of the in saline soils requires that the plant scientific name based on the Greek maintain a high enough concentration words chen meaning goose and pous of salts that saline water will continue meaning foot. This name refers to the to flow into the roots. However, as salts leaf shape of some species in this can be harmful to plant cells, some group. The goosefoots are often method of dealing with the salts is overlooked due to their small, needed. Many goosefoot species store inconspicuous flowers. In North salts in special inflated hairs, called America, the goosefoot genus salt glands or bladders.3 The presence consists of only 34 species. In the of these glands gives goosefoots their prairie provinces of Canada, there are “scurfy” or “mealy” appearance. 20 species in total, six of which are Succulence also contributes to salt introduced from Eurasia. The genus tolerance because the stored water has been recently reviewed dilutes the salts, making them less taxonomically by the Flora of North harmful. 3'13 America 24 committee and there are now twice as many species in the Most goosefoot species in the prairie prairie provinces as reported in earlier provinces occur in the Prairie ecozone.1 floras 14'19 due to recent discoveries The species with narrow leaves are and taxonomic “splitting” of species typically found on dry, sandy soils in like Narrow-leaved Goosefoot (C. the plains while those with wider leptophyllum). Identification of leaves are generally found in moister goosefoot species can be difficult due conditions at the edges of woodlands 82 Blue Jay or among bushes. Saline (C. cultivated fields and gardens.24 glaucum) and Red Goosefoot (C. Lamb’s-quarters (C. album), the most rubrum) are commonly found around common introduced goosefoot saline wetlands.4 The native species species, is found in the Prairie, and that are fairly common in the Boreal Boreal Plain and Shield ecozones as Plains ecozone are Strawberry Blight far north as Churchill in Manitoba, (C. capitatum), Berlandier’s Goosefoot Lake Athabasca in Saskatchewan and (C. berlandieri) and Maple-leaf Peace River in Alberta.23 Goosefoot (C. simplex).14 Introduced species are typically found along Status of the Goosefoots in Canada roadsides, disturbed areas, and in Of the 14 native species found in the 66 (2) June 2008 83 prairies, seven are relatively rare. concern as it is an intermediate host to Smooth Goosefoot (C. subglabrum) is the crop pest, beet leafhopper.18 considered nationally threatened and is protected under the Species at Risk Six species of goosefoot are Act (Figure 1).17 Smooth Goosefoot is introduced from Eurasia. One of these restricted to sand dunes and species, Lamb’s-quarters, is a common uncultivated sand plains in the prairie agricultural weed although it is also provinces. 17 Two other goosefoot eaten as a potherb in many countries.18 species are considered nationally Lamb’s-quarters is the alternate host for rare: Narrowleaf Goosefoot (C. a number of viral crop diseases.18 The leptophyllum) and Dakota Stinking potherb Good King Henry (C. bonus- Goosefoot (C. watsonii).2 Narrowleaf henricus) is sometimes cultivated in Goosefoot is found on sandy soils in prairie gardens and occasionally all three prairie provinces while Dakota escapes but has not become a serious Stinking Goosefoot has been found on weed.4 The remaining four introduced heavily eroded, clayey soils along river species (C. foliosum, C. murale, C. valleys in southern Alberta and polyspermum var. acutifolium and C. Saskatchewan. 12'16 Dark Goosefoot stricture) are relatively uncommon (C. atrovirens) and Mealy Goosefoot weeds moving north from the United (C. incanum) are considered States, but they have the potential to provincially rare in Alberta and become more troublesome, especially Saskatchewan.10> 12 Hians’ Goosefoot if climate warming makes conditions in (C. hians) is rare in Saskatchewan with the prairies more suitable for their only one confirmed specimen ever growth.9 being found. 10 Arid Goosefoot (C. dessicatum) is considered rare in The rarity of many goosefoot species Alberta and uncommon in as well as their potential to become Saskatchewan. 10-12 In addition to crop weeds in a changing climate growing in relatively uncommon makes collection and identification of habitats, the rarity of these species is plants in this genus extremely due in part to their annua! habit; they important. Unusual specimens appear to germinate erratically and are observed are therefore worth collecting thus temporally rare.1617 It is possible and donating to herbaria to better that these species are adapted to the determine the distribution and soil disturbances made by herds of frequency of these species. migratory Bison, as well as rodents like the Black-tailed Prairie Dog.16 In Economic Impact of Goosefoots recent times, rare goosefoot plants The goosefoot family contains many have been found in areas of native of the species that we consider to be grassland that have been heavily weeds including Russian Pigweed grazed and trampled by cattle, further (.Axyris amaranthoides L.), Russian- lending support to this hypothesis. thistle (Salsola tragus L.) and Summer Cypress (Kochia scoparia (L.) Four of the native species are Schrad.). However, it also contains considered to be weeds of gardens, several highly nutritious species such waste areas, roadsides and edges of as Beet and Swiss Chard (Beta cultivated fields, namely Berlandier’s vulgaris L.), Spinach (Spinacia Goosefoot, Strawberry Blight, Maple-leaf oleracea L.), and the wild forage plant Goosefoot and Saline Goosefoot. 18 Winterfat (Krascheninnikovia lanata Berlandier’s Goosefoot is of particular (Pursh) Meeuse & Smit). 84 Blue Jay The goosefoot genus has several further abandonment of these species species that are grown as crop plants. in favour of Old World crops. Active Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) suppression of the use of some was originally cultivated by the Incas traditional crops also occurred: the of Peru over 5,000 years ago.7 Quinoa Incas considered Quinoa sacred, so fell out of favour as modern crop plants Spanish conquistadors discouraged spread, but is still in cultivation today them from growing this plant as a as it is relatively drought, frost and salt- method of cultural subjugation.25 tolerant making it an excellent crop plant in adverse growing conditions.7 Several species of goosefoots are 11 Quinoa is very nutritious due to the grown mainly for their leaves: Lamb’s- high protein content.23 In fact, it is one quarters, known in Europe as Fat Hen; of the only foods with all nine essential Good King Henry; Jerusalem Oak amino acids, making it nutritionally (Chenopodium botrys L.); Foetid valuable for vegetarians in particular. Goosefoot or yerba del zorillo (C. 23 Raw Quinoa must first be rinsed to graveolens Willd.); and Wormseed or remove the bitter and mildly toxic epazote (C. ambrosioides L.).72223 saponins from the seed.7 Due to the The first three plants are native to lack of the protein gluten, Quinoa can Europe and have become naturalized be eaten by people with a gluten (i.e. in many places around the world wheat) allergy. The seeds can be including Canada. Archaeological cooked like rice or couscous, or evidence suggests that Lamb’s- ground up and used as flour. quarters may have been grown for its seeds during the Neolithic Age by Other important pseudograins in Europeans before crops from the this genus include Kaniwa (C. Middle East came to dominate the pallidicaule Aellen), which is still grown agriculture of the region.5 21 Lamb’s- in Peru and Bolivia, and Pitseed quarters and Good King Henry have Goosefoot or huauzontle (C. highly nutritious leaves that can be berlandieri Moq. ssp. nuttalliae (Saff.) eaten raw in a salad or cooked like H. D. Wilson & Heiser), which is still spinach.23 Jerusalem Oak leaves are grown in Mexico.23 Pitseed Goosefoot eaten like spinach but also used as was one of the crops in the Eastern an herb. Foetid Goosefoot leaves are agricultural complex, a group of plants edible but toxic in large quantities and that were cultivated by First Nations in uncommon outside Latin America.22 the east and midwestern part of the 23 Mexicans use Wormseed as an United States.8 Pitseed Goosefoot herb in a wide range of traditional was grown along with Squash dishes.22 Wormseed is also grown (Cucurbita pepo L.), Little Barley for its oil, which is useful for expelling (Hordeum pusillum Nutt.), Erect intestinal worms.22 All five of these Knotweed (Polygonum erectum L.), plants are rarely available Maygrass (Phalaris caroliniana commercially in North America, being Walter), Sumpweed or Marshelder (Iva grown only occasionally in home annua L.), and Sunflower (Helianthus gardens.

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