Stinking goosefoot (Chenopodium vulvaria), or notchweed, is a foul-smelling plant or weed. The plant is a member of the genus Chenopodium, the goosefoots.
Contents
Uses
The whole plant is antispasmodic and emmenagogue. An infusion of the dried leaves is used in the treatment of hysteria and nervous troubles connected with women’s ailments.
Benefits
Its leaves are beneficial in cases of hysteria and nervous troubles connected with women’s ailments: it has emmenagogue and anti-spasmodic properties. In former days, Wild Arrach was supposed even to cure barrenness, promotes and moderates the menses and in certain cases, the mere smelling of its foetid odour was held to afford relief.
Cautions
Known hazards of Chenopodium vulvaria: The leaves and seeds of all members of this genus are more or less edible. However, many of the species in this genus contain saponins, though usually in quantities too small to do any harm. Although toxic, saponins are poorly absorbed by the body and most pass straight through without any problem. They are also broken down to a large extent in the cooking process. Saponins are found in many foods, such as some beans. Saponins are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish. The plants also contain some oxalic acid, which in large quantities can lock up some of the nutrients in the food. However, even considering this, they are very nutritious vegetables in reasonable quantities. Cooking the plants will reduce their content of oxalic acid. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition.
Interactions
None are recorded! Please consult your doctor!
Other names
Herb: Stinking Goosefoot, Latin name: Chenopodium vulvaria, Synonyms: Chenopodium olidum
References
Source: Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chenopodium_vulvaria
tipdisease, http://www.tipdisease.com/2014/11/benefits-of-wild-arrach-chenopodium.html
NaturalMedicinalHerbs, http://www.naturalmedicinalherbs.net/herbs/c/chenopodium-vulvaria=stinking-goosefoot.php