Chenopodium californicum (S. Watson) S. Watson   =Blightum californicum   = Chenopodium anthelminticum var. hastatum   Chenopodiaceae (Goosefoot Family)   Native   Soap Plant   Wormseed     California Goosefoot

                                      March Photo

Plant Characteristics:  Perennial with stout fleshy root and several decumbent or ascending stems 3-8 dm. long, sparsely farinose on younger parts, stout, not much branched; lvs. deltoid, 3-10 cm. long, truncate or cordate at base, sharply and unequally sinuate-dentate; petioles slender, the lower as long as the blades; fl. glomerules small, in long dense terminal spikes; calyx cleft to ca. the middle, green with broad lobes, shorter than fr.; pericarp adherent; seed vertical, compressed-globose, ca. 2 mm. broad.

Habitat: Common on dryish plains and slopes, below 5000 ft.; many Plant Communities; much of cismontane Calif., to edge of deserts; L. Calif; most Channel Ids.  March-June.

Name:  Greek, chen, goose, and pous, foot, referring to the shape of the lvs. in some species.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 359).  Californicum indicates that the species was first found in this state.  (Dale 13).

General:  Occasional in the study area.  Found on the westerly side of the bay, this at a low elevation, just above the tidal zone on the path between 23rd St. and Delhi.  On the bluffs below the north end of Eastbluff I have found the plant several times, with one quite large colony about 2/3 of the way up the hill, located so as to be out of view from the road below, and from above by the topography. In 1996 I found a colony on the Castaway's bluffs. (my comments).      The root was ground and used as soap by the Cahuillas.  (Clarke 198).     The Cahuillas, Indians of the Colorado Desert, the San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains, also used leaves of the plant for soap although it was not as efficient as the carrot-like, hard root.  Seeds were parched and ground into flour.  (Bean and Saubel 53).      The Maidu Indians of northern California used soaproot, C. californicum, as shampoo.  One hundred years ago, Dixon found that the men and women would wash their heads frequently.  Barrett and Gifford recorded that the Miwok of central California also lathered their hair with soaproot every few days to bring luxuriant growth.  (Campbell 202).      The seeds of C. californicum contain 12 to 17 percent protein and 7 to 28 percent oil.  (Campbell 166).       C. californicum has been known to accumulate free nitrates in quantities capable of causing death or distress in cattle.  (Fuller 385).      Its chief use seems to be as an anthelmintic (tending to expel intestinal worms).  Excellent to expel the lumbrici from children.  (Meyer 143).      A large genus, essentially cosmopolitan.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 359).

Text Ref: Abrams, Vol. II 72; Hickman, Ed. 508; Munz, Calif. Flora 370; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 361; Robbins et al. 151.

Photo Ref:  Mar 2 85 # 9; Feb-Mar 86 # 25; April-May 91 # 13.

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by F. Roberts.

First Found:  March 1985.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 224

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 3/3/05.

                       March Photo                                                               April Photo