Wormseed (Dysphania anthelmintica)

Family: Amaranthaceae | Edibility: Edible (2/5)

An erect, multi-branched, annual to short-lived perennial plant growing around 1 metre tall. The plant is a popular and very effective vermifuge, as well as having many other medicinalproperties. Prior to the introduction of synthetic compounds the plant was widely cultivated for the control of hookworms and roundworms and it is still often grown for medicinal and culinary use, especially in its native Mexico.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Nuts/Seeds, Leaves

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer, Spring, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

taste due to the presence of resinous dots and sticky hairs. — The tender leaves are sometimes used as a potherb.; Used as a condiment in soups etc, it is said to reduce flatulence if eaten with beans.; The leaves have a rank taste due to the presence of resinous dots and sticky hairs.; The raw leaves should only be eaten in small quantities, see the notes above on toxicity.

Habitat & North American Range

Mainly found on dry wasteland and cultivated ground. Sand dunes, pinelands, meadows, roadsides, and other waste areas; at elevations up to 1,100 metres in southern N. America. (Zone 10)