Characteristics
An annual plant. It grows to 1 m tall and spreads 1 m wide. The stem is erect and slender. Often the stem lies over at the base. The leaves have long leaf stalks. The leaves are usually narrow and long but older leaves are shaped like an arrow. The flowers are small and white. Male and female flowers are carried on different plants. They are on long stalks. The fruit valves are 5-6 mm long.
| Life form |
perennial
|
| Growth form |
herb
|
| Growth support |
-
|
| Foliage retention |
deciduous
|
| Sexuality |
dioecy
|
| Pollination |
anemogamy
|
| Spread |
barochory
|
| Mature width (meter) |
1.0
|
| Mature height (meter) |
0.65
|
| Root system |
-
|
| Rooting depth (meter) |
-
|
| Root diameter (meter) |
-
|
| Flower color |
-
|
| Blooming months |
-
|
| Fruit color |
-
|
| Fruiting months |
-
|
| Nitrogen fixer |
-
|
| Photosynthetic pathway |
-
|
Environment
It is a Mediterranean climate plant. It occurs naturally in Europe. It prefers a well drained acid soil. It does best in open sunny positions. It is drought and frost resistant. It is naturalised on acid soils in Australia. It grows in dry rather bare places. It grows in Western Mediterranean regions.
| Light |
|
| Soil humidity |
|
| Soil texture |
|
| Soil acidity |
|
| Soil nutriment |
-
|
| Hardiness (USDA) |
|
Usage
The young leaves and stems are eaten raw in salads. The leaves are boiled, mashed and eaten with butter. They can be used to make soup. The leaves can contain oxalic acid causing them to burn the throat. Large amounts of raw leaves should not therefore be eaten.
Cultivation
| Mode |
-
|
| Germination duration (days) |
-
|
| Germination temperacture (C°) |
-
|
| Germination luminosity |
-
|
| Germination treatment |
-
|
| Minimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Optimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Size |
-
|
| Vigor |
-
|
| Productivity |
-
|
Home