Blitum bonus-henricus

Blitum bonus-henricus (syn. Chenopodium bonus-henricus), also called Good-King-Henry,^[1] poor-man's asparagus, perennial goosefoot, Lincolnshire spinach, Markery,^[2] English mercury, or mercury goosefoot,^[3] is a species of goosefoot which is native to much of central and southern Europe.

Good-King-Henry has been grown as a vegetable in cottage gardens for hundreds of years, although this dual-purpose vegetable is now rarely grown and the species is more often considered a weed.

It is an annual or perennial plant growing up to 60 centimetres (24 inches) tall.^[4] The leaves are 5–10 cm (2–4 in) long and broad, triangular^[4] to diamond-shaped, with a pair of broad pointed lobes near the base, with a slightly waxy, succulent texture. The flowers are produced in a tall, nearly leafless spike 10–30 cm (4–12 in) long; each flower is very small (3–5 millimetres or 1⁄8–3⁄16 inch in diameter), greenish,^[4] with five sepals. The seeds are reddish-green, 2–3 mm in diameter.

The species was described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus as Chenopodium bonus-henricus in Species Plantarum .^[5] Until 2012, the species was usually included in genus Chenopodium , but molecular genetical research revealed that it does not really belong to this genus. It seems to be more closely related to the genus Spinacia , and is now placed in the genus Blitum in the tribe Anserineae.^{[6] [7] [8]} The scientific name Blitum bonus-henricus was first used by Ludwig Reichenbach in 1832.^[9]

Synonyms basing on the same type specimen are: Agathophytum bonus-henricus (L.) Moq., Anserina bonus-henricus (L.) Dumort., Atriplex bonus-henricus (L.) Crantz, Chenopodium bonus-henricus L., Orthospermum bonus-henricus (L.) Schur, and Orthosporum bonus-henricus (L.) T. Nees.^[10] Heterotypic synonyms are: Blitum perenne Bubani, Chenopodium hastatum St.-Lag., Chenopodium ruderale Kit. ex Moq., Chenopodium ruderale St.-Lag., Chenopodium sagittatum Lam., Chenopodium spinacifolium Stokes, Chenopodium triangulare Dulac, Chenopodium triangularifolia Gilib., and Orthosporum unctuosum Montandon.^[11]

It can be found throughout Britain and Europe generally, except in the southeast.^[4]

Cropping can begin in spring. Some of the new shoots can be thinned out as they appear (usually from mid-spring to early summer) and cooked like asparagus. All cutting should then cease so that shoots are allowed to develop. The succulent triangular leaves may be harvested a few at a time until the end of August and eaten raw^[4] or cooked like spinach.^[12] The flower buds can be cooked as well.^[4]

• Media related to Blitum bonus-henricus at Wikimedia Commons
• Data related to Blitum bonus-henricus at Wikispecies

• Blitum
• Flora of Europe
• Leaf vegetables
• Perennial vegetables
• Stem vegetables
• Flora of New Jersey
• Plants described in 1753
• Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus

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• Flora without expected TNC conservation status