Oxybasis glauca aka Oakleaf Goosefoot

Oxybasis glauca is an annual in the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae. Its common name is oak-leaved goosefoot. The older name Chenopodium glaucum refers to the same species. Its native range covers temperate Eurasia and Australia. The RHS also lists it as native to Britain and Ireland. Older references placed its former genus in the family Chenopodiaceae.

This small plant reaches about 1 foot [0.3 metres] tall. It completes its life cycle within one year. In Britain, it grows on rich waste ground. It also occurs near the shore, though less often. Its flowers appear from June to September. Each flower has both male and female organs. Wind carries the pollen between flowers. Seeds ripen from August to October, overlapping the flowering season. The seeds measure about 0.75 millimetres across, making them hard to handle.

Grow this species in an open site without shade. It suits sandy, loamy, and clay soils. It accepts mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline ground. Moist soil suits it best, with a moderate level of fertility. It can also cope with exposure to sea winds. Plants For A Future describes it as easy to grow. It lists cultivated beds as a growing location. Sow seed where the plants will grow in spring. Most seeds sprout within a few days of sowing. This allows plants to start without a separate transplant stage.

The young leaves and shoot tips have food uses. Cook them as a leafy green, much like spinach. The source advises eating only small amounts of raw leaves. The seeds are also edible after cooking. They can be ground and mixed with cereal flour for bread. Their small size makes collecting and preparing them fiddly. Soak seeds overnight, then rinse them well before use. Plants For A Future recommends this step to remove saponins. These preparation notes matter when considering it as a food plant.

The whole plant can supply gold or green dye. Plants For A Future gives its food value two out of five. It rates other uses at one out of five. It reports no known medicinal use. Its documented uses therefore centre on food and dye, rather than medicine.