Observations by thumai

ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION
Native status: The plant is native to much of the western half of North America from Canada through California to Mexico.
Habitats: diverse (desert, cliffs, moist shaded area under aspens, junipers, pinyons, etc.) Especially, you can find the plant here in New Mexico, somewhere near the Los Alamos area.
Ecology: shaded places and evergreen forests.

ETHNOBOTANICAL INFORMATION
Uses: The greens would be used as vegetables and the seeds would be used as grains for bread and porridge.
Side information: Many species of this genus have leaves and seeds that contain saponins. Although it’s toxic to animals such as fishes, they are poorly absorbed by the body and don’t cause any problems. The plants also contains oxalic acid, which are nutritious to vegetables in reasonable quantities and could be reduced when cooking.

BOTANICAL INFORMATION
Name of the plant: Frémont’s Goosefoot (Wild Spinach). It was named after the 19th century western pioneer John C. Frémont.
Scientific name: Chenopodium fremontii
Other names: chénopode de Frémont (French), chuale blanco (Spanish)
Family: Amaranthaceae
Botanical characteristics:
Group: Dicotyledon
Height: approximately 1.6 - 2.6 ft
Plant type: Annual herb
Leaf shape: up to 4cm long with oval or triangular shaped with a few lobes
Flower: Spike inflorescence with several clusters of tightly-packed tiny flowers. Each flower has five lobes and coats the developing fruit. It flowers from June to October.