Lipandra polysperma aka Many Seeded Goosefoot

Lipandra polysperma is an annual in the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae. Its common names include many-seeded goosefoot and allseed. The RHS lists Chenopodium polyspermum as a synonym of this species. This links it to the older name used by Plants For A Future. Its native range spans Europe and the eastern Mediterranean to Siberia. The RHS also records it as native to Britain and Ireland. Kew places it in the temperate climate zone.

This plant grows to about 3 feet [0.9 metres] tall. It lives for one growing season rather than forming a lasting woody plant. It grows on waste ground and land worked for crops. Plants For A Future also lists cultivated beds as a garden setting. Each flower has both male and female parts. Wind carries the pollen between flowers. The flowering season runs from July through October. Seeds ripen from August to October, overlapping with the flowering season.

Plants For A Future describes this as an easy plant to grow. It suits sandy soil, loam, and clay, so soil texture need not limit planting. It grows in mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline soils. It prefers moist ground with a moderate level of fertility. Choose an open site, since the source says it cannot grow in shade. Sow the seed where the plants will grow in spring. Most seeds should sprout within a few days of sowing.

The leaves and seeds have food uses, though preparation matters. Cooked leaves can serve as a green vegetable in place of spinach. Plants For A Future advises eating only small amounts of raw leaves. The seeds can be ground and mixed with wheat flour or other cereals. This mixture can then go into bread and similar foods. Soak the seeds overnight, then rinse them well before use. Their small size makes them awkward to gather and prepare.

The whole plant can supply dyes in gold and green shades. Plants For A Future gives its food value two out of five. It rates its other uses one out of five. The same source records no known medicinal use. Its weed assessment does not flag the species as weedy. That assessment sits alongside its recorded habitat on disturbed and cultivated ground.