Quinoa
Latin name
Chenopodium quinoa
Family
Amaranthaceae
Flowering season
July to August
English distribution
Escapes from cultivation are found thinly scattered
throughout the country.
See the BSBI distribution map for Quinoa
Habitat
It is a neophyte introduced from South America.
It is grown mainly for its seeds, which have been
given the super-food cache.
In South America it is a staple crop but is nowadays
grown throughout the world. The United Nations
General Assembly declared 2013 as the
"International Year of Quinoa".
It grows as a casual on waste and cultivated ground,
usually close to where it has been grown as a crop.
I saw it in a field of barley on the Isle of Portland
in August, 2013.
It took a while to identify and then even longer to
work out how it got there.
It turns out that the local bird observatory on
Portland Bill grow a range of seed-producing crops,
which they leave as food for the large numbers of
indigenous and migrant birds visiting the area
(see - Portland Bird Observatory ). Other bird
groups around the country do the same.
Description
Quinoa is an annual herb, growing up to 1.5m.
When young it resembles native chenopods
such as Fat Hen.
Flowers are in dense clumps and green when young.
The seeds are also in dense clumps that look
like elongated and multicoloured cauliflowers.
The colours vary from green through yellow, red
and purple.
The leaves are triangular and toothed, initially
green and later turning yellow, red and purple.
The Wikipedia entry on the history, uses and
nutritional quality of Quinoa is very informative
and well worth looking at.
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