grrlscout
03-20-2012, 03:03 PM
Hey all!
I'm taking a class at the local community college. I noticed they used a lot of native plants in their landscaping. So I started taking a closer look. Now that we've gotten some rain, the plants are blooming and easier to identify. Lo and behold, I spied a whole patch of desert chia (Salvia columbariae).
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7100/6998059827_ebc3bc3bed_b.jpg
I had read about it. In fact, I bought some seeds to plant this Summer.
The edible part is the seeds.
Supposedly, when soaked in water, they get kind of gooey. Traditionally, this was a nutritious beverage. The seeds were also pounded into a flour, that was used to make cakes or mush.
Medicinally, the soaked seeds made a poultice for wounds or to remove debris from eyes.
Details from the USDA (in PDF format)
http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_saco6.pdf
I'm taking a class at the local community college. I noticed they used a lot of native plants in their landscaping. So I started taking a closer look. Now that we've gotten some rain, the plants are blooming and easier to identify. Lo and behold, I spied a whole patch of desert chia (Salvia columbariae).
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7100/6998059827_ebc3bc3bed_b.jpg
I had read about it. In fact, I bought some seeds to plant this Summer.
The edible part is the seeds.
Supposedly, when soaked in water, they get kind of gooey. Traditionally, this was a nutritious beverage. The seeds were also pounded into a flour, that was used to make cakes or mush.
Medicinally, the soaked seeds made a poultice for wounds or to remove debris from eyes.
Details from the USDA (in PDF format)
http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_saco6.pdf