04-Aug Muckweed to Michelin: The Lost Supergreens of London

To identify them it is wise to look closely at the shape of their leaves rather than their tiny flowers. If the flowers are bisexual it will be a goosefoot and if they are separately sexed then it is an orache. Two of the most culinary prized are Fat Hen Chenopodium album and Good King Henry C. bonus-henricus.

The first is said to taste the best and in London it is both common and widespread. It used to be called Muckweed on account of its habitat preference. It was an almost universal fodder crop till modern spinach arrived from Asia in the sixteenth century. Neolithic, Bronze age and Iron age Britons would have all known it well. Good King Henry is now more likely to be seen in gardens where it is grown as another spinach substitute. The Henry involved is not, as you might expect, an English king, but a German elf, Heinreich. ‘Good’ refers not to the king but to the plants edibility. Bad Henry is a name given to dog’s mercury, which is poisonous. Good King Henry seeds itself easily, giving a long supply of fresh leaves even throughout the coldest months. Its seeds were found in the gruel meal eaten by Tollund man before he met his untimely death in the 4th century B.C. They were also used in the manufacture of shagreen and its roots were given to sheep to stop them coughing.

There are over a dozen more species of goosefoot, most of which are rare. Others are common especially Red goosefoot C. rubrum, Fig-leaved goosefoot C. ficafolium and Many-seeded goosefoot C. polyspermum. As so often, their English names can give a clue to their identification. Red Goosefoot is often found near the sea and shows a preference for refuse tips. Its seeds are especially loved by birds and poultry. Fig-leaved goosefoot is more likely to be encountered at the sides of fields and waste places. Many-seeded goosefoot is similar, but has a marked preference for woods. Other goosefoots include the Oak-leaved goosefoot C. glaucum, Maple-leaved goosefoot C. hybridus, Nettle-leaved goosefoot C. murale, Upright goosefoot C. urbicum and the Grey goosefoot C. opulifolium. All of these are uncommon in London but may be noticed due to the characteristics mentioned in their names.

Lastly, the Stinking goosefoot C. vulvaria needs little introduction due to its famous smell of stinking fish which includes pure ammonia. It is still recorded in London from time to time. It was prized in the past as a cure for barrenness, even a whiff apparently doing the trick.

Among the similar-looking oraches it is the Spear-leaved orache Atriplex prostrata and Common orache A. patula that are the most common. The first has triangular rather than spear-shaped leaves. Unfortunately, in the second, the leaf shape is variable, making field identification more troublesome. Common Orache was used to cure wandering pains. Grass-leaved Orache A. littoralis tends only to be found on saltmarshes and others such as Babington’s Orache A. glabruiscula is now so rare it is unlikely to be found at all.