Valerianella locusta
Valerianella locusta | |
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Corn salad is identifiable by its rounded leaf and deep green colour | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Dipsacales |
Family: | Caprifoliaceae |
Genus: | Valeriana |
Species: | V. locusta
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Binomial name | |
Valeriana locusta | |
Synonyms[1] | |
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Valerianella locusta is a synonym for Valeriana locusta,[1] commonly called mâche, cornsalad, or lamb's lettuce, a small, herbaceous, annual flowering plant in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae. It is native to Europe, western Asia and north Africa, where it is eaten as a leaf vegetable.
Description
Cornsalad grows in a low
In warm conditions it tends to
Distribution and habitat
Cornsalad grows wild in parts of Europe, northern Africa and western Asia.[7] In Europe and Asia it is a common weed in cultivated land and waste spaces. In North America it has escaped cultivation and become naturalized on both the eastern and western seaboards.[8]
As a cultivated crop, it is a specialty of the region around Nantes, France, which is the primary producer of mâche in Europe.[9]
History
Cornsalad was originally foraged by European peasants. Jean-Baptiste de La Quintinie, royal gardener of King Louis XIV, introduced it to kitchen gardening.[10] It has been eaten in Britain for centuries and appears in John Gerard's Herbal of 1597.[11] It was grown commercially in London from the late 18th or early 19th century and appeared on markets as a winter vegetable, but it only became available in modern supermarkets there in the 1980s.[12] American president Thomas Jefferson cultivated mâche at his home, Monticello, in Virginia in the early 1800s.[9]
Common names
Common names include lamb's lettuce, common cornsalad, or simply cornsalad,[13]: 831 [14]: 260 [2][15] mâche[2] (/mɑːʃ/), fetticus,[2] feldsalat,[2] nut lettuce,[2] field salad and valerian salad. The common name 'cornsalad' refers to the fact that it often grows as a weed in cornfields[11] ('corn' is used in the sense of 'cereal', not the US meaning of maize).
In German-speaking Switzerland it is known as Nüsslisalat or Nüssler, terms that have been borrowed by the area's many English speakers. In some areas of Germany it is known as rapunzel, and is the origin of the long-haired maiden's name in the eponymous fairy tale, but see Campanula rapunculus.[citation needed] In restaurants that feature French cuisine, it may be called doucette or raiponce, as an alternative to mâche, by which it is best known.[16] In Croatia and Serbia it is known as matovilac. In Slovenia it is known as motovilec.
Nutrition
Cornsalad has a characteristic nutty flavour, dark green colour, and soft texture, and is popularly served as
Like other formerly foraged greens, cornsalad has many nutrients, including three times as much vitamin C as lettuce, beta-carotene, B6, iron, and potassium. It is best if gathered before flowers appear.[18]
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
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3.6 g | |
0.4 g | |
2 g | |
Minerals | Quantity %DV† |
Potassium | 15% 459 mg |
Sodium | 0% 4 mg |
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[19] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[20] Source: [citation needed] |
References
- ^ a b "Valeriana locusta (L.)". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "Valerianella locusta". Floridata.
- ^ Plants for a Future: Valerianella locusta
- ^ "Valerianella locusta". E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia.
- ^ "Taxon Profile: Valerianella locusta". Flora of New Zealand. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ "Taxon Profile: Valerianella". Flora of New Zealand. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ "Valerianella locusta". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
- ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Valerianella locusta". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team.
- ^ a b "History of Mâche". Epicroots.
- ^ Organic Gardening Magazine, August–September 2007
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-280352-8.
- ^ T. W. Sanders (1917), Vegetables and Their Cultivation, London: W. H. & L. Collingridge Limited
- ISBN 978-1-5272-2630-2.
- ISBN 978-1408179505.
- ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
- ^ "Mâche". Larousse Cuisine.
- ^ "Valerianella locusta". Missouri Botanical Garden.
- ^ Bender, David A., ed. (2005). Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. Oxford University Press.
- ^ United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". Retrieved 2024-03-28.
- )
Sources
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Ward, Artemas (1911). "[no title cited]". The Grocer's Encyclopedia.