1. Chenopodiaceae Goosefoot Family
Leaves of orach
Organic Seed
May 2004

2. Family characteristics
Pollination-wind
Both dioecious and perfect
Seed type - cluster and multigerm
Seed maturity-indeterminate
when 60-70% is mature then harvest
windrow and dry seed

3. Spinach Spinacia oleracea L.
Origin: Central Asia
Dioecious, outcrossing, mainly wind pollinated
Importance: Next to cabbage, spinach is the most important of the vegetables grown for greens or pot herbs in the U.S.
Season, seeding to harvest: 6 to 8 weeks.
Use: As pot herbs; shipped fresh, canned, frozen.

4. Teton
Avon Hybrid

5. Beet, Mangelwurzel, Sugar Beet, Swiss Chard Beta vulgaris
Origin: Mediterranean, from Greek times
Biennial
Outcrossing, perfect flowers, protandrous
Wind pollinated

6. Beta vulgaris
Biennial
Outcrossing
Wind-pollinated

7. Harvesting Mangels for feed (Beta vulgaris vulgaris) at Steve’s farm
Mangels of up to 63 lbs were harvested at
Lulu Is. BC in 1900 (Stevenson Museum BC)

8. A mangel up close

9. Swiss chard Beta vulgaris cicla

10. Orach, mountain spinach Atriplex hortensis Origin Mediterranean: Greeks used
Mariquita farm, Hollister CA

11. Lamb’s-quarters Chenopodium album
Weed
Leaves can be eaten
SW Native Amer. Seed ground
Monoecious- Male and female flowers in same plant
Insect or wind pollinated

12. Does this look familiar?

13. Good King Henry Chenopodium bonicus-henricus
Also “fat hen plant”
In English Gardens
Perrenial, hardy
Outbreeding

14. Quinoa Chenopodium quinoa

15. Quinoa grain

16. Quinoa variability

17. Quinoa harvesting

18. Nestle interested
in large scale
production of quinoa

19. Epizote, boldo Chenopodium ambrosiodes
Weed in Latin America
Used as tea for human parasites
Anti-nematode properties
Plants of Hawaii

20. Chenopodium berlandieri
Used by Native Americans, pre corn’s arrival

21. Eastern US Domesticated four crops 1-2000 BC:
Squash
Chenopodium berlandieri
Sunflower
Marshelder

22. Amaranthaceae Pigweeds Amaranthus sp.
A. retroflexus (redroot)
Male and female flowers on same plant
Outcrossing, wind-pollinated

23. Amaranthus Amaranthus hypochondiacus A. cruentus Origin: Andes