Chenopodium capitatum seeds, Strawberry spinach
Chenopodium capitatum seeds, Strawberry spinach
Strawberry blite is a species of plants belonging to a family of Chenopodiaceae and Chenopodium genus. It is an annual edible plant also referred by common names such as Strawberry blite, Strawberry goosefoot, Blite goosefoot, Indian paint and Strawberry spinach. The plant synonym is Blitum capitatum. Its original habitats can be traced to North America; across Canada and the United States including other northern areas. It has since been distributed to other parts of the world and is now found in Europe and Asia.
Chenopodium capitatum is an annual plant and can grow up to a height of 0.6 metres. It flowers mostly in the late summer; from July to August and the seed ripens around September and October. The plant’s fruits are small, mushy, red and resemble strawberries in structure and texture. The fruit’s seeds are small, pulpy, black in colour and about 0.7-1.2 mm long. It is normally found in mountain and valleys since it favors both loamy and clays soils.
Chenopodium capitatum has edible, medicinal and many other uses. For instance, the plant’s leaves can be eaten raw or cooked and used as a source of vegetable like spinach. The leaves are a good source of vitamin C and sometimes can be used in salad mixtures. Fruits can also be cooked or eaten raw and its sweet flavor is suitable to be added in salads. Fruit’s redness can also be used as food color. The seeds can also be ground and mixed with cereal flours for making bread. The plant is a useful lotion for treating head bruises and black eyes. The juice from the seeds is believed to be useful in treating lung congestion. The plant in other cases is cultivated for ornamental purposes.
