Poverty Weed, Nuttall's povertyweed
Monolepis nuttalliana
Family: Chenopodiaceae
What it is like
Monolepis nuttalliana is a ANNUAL growing to 0.3 m (1ft). It is in flower from June to October, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline and saline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.
Height (m): 0.3
Where it is found
Waste places, lawn edges, gardens etc in dry, saline and alkaline soils.
Western N. America - Manitoba to California, Texas and New Mexico.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Leaves - cooked until tender. A pleasant mild flavour, they are used as greens. Root - cooked. Small but with an acceptable flavour when young, the older ones are rather tough. Seed. Very small and fiddly, it is used as a piñole. The seed can also be dried, ground into a powder then mixed with water and eaten as a mush.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Medicine
Rating: 1
A poultice of moist leaves has been applied to skin abrasions.
Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.
Other
Rating: 0
How it is grown
We have almost no information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though it should be possible to grow it as a half-hardy annual in this country. It is likely to require a well-drained soil in a sunny position.
Propagating it: Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in late spring in situ.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Annual
Hardiness: 0-0
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry, moist