Lamb's quarters |
The
leaves of the lamb's quarters are multiform
and look like
dusted with
flour
If you have a goosefoot in front of you it is probably mostly the lamb's quarters. In Lower Saxony, there are also very similar species that are much less common:
On the one hand it is Chenopodium strictum, the lateflowering goosefoot. The branches of this type are aligned horizontally at the base while they stand upright at the lamb's quarters. The stripes of the stem and the leaves early takes on a reddish color, while at the lamb's quarters they stay green in most cases.
On the other hand the green goosefoot (Chenopodium suecicum) may be colored green to blue-green. It is more delicate than the lamb's quarters and less branched. Its leaves are sharply serrated and the teeth pointing forward. It is not floured as strong as the lamb's quarters.
Easier to distinguish is the upright goosefoot (Chenopodium urbicum, syn. Oxybasis urbica). Its leaves on the surface are glossy dark green and they are never discolored reddish.
The inconspicuous flowers of the lamb's quarters are arranged in dense clusters in the leaf axils
Chenopodium polyspermum, syn. Lipandra polysperma, the many-seed goosefoot exclusively has entire leaves, that are never toothed or sinuate and that are never floured. Young leaves of the lamb's quarters may also be entire, but they can be distinguished at the flouring.
Chenopodium vulvaria, the notchweed can be recognized by its stench. The trimethylamine, which is stored in the leaves, smells like rotten fish. It is strongly floured and the leaves are entire.
In agriculture, the lamb's quarters is considered as a annoying weed, particularly for the cultivation of spring cereals, root crops, oilseed rape, maize and potatoes. But also in gardens the lamb's quarters feels at home, where it finds well fertilized soil, which it leaches very quickly.
In some parts of Asia and Africa, as well as by some Indian tribes the lamb's quarters was eaten and sometimes cultivated. In times of need, it was also consumed in Europe. The preparation is similar to that of spinach. The seeds can be processed to a kind of flour. Mixed with rye flour, starvation breads were baked. The consumption of large quantities of lamb's quarters leads to swellings and redness on the skin under the influence of sunlight.
The mealy appearance owes the plant easily breakable, bladderlike hairs. They consist of a short stalk cell and a round, bubble-like cell at the top. Bladderlike hairs often found in halophytes (salt-loving plants). They store salt, which is poisonous for them, into their hairs, which completely fall off thereupon. However, since the lamb's quarters does not tolerate salt, it can be assumed that the hairs have lost this function during evolution, or they may play different role.