Category: Herbs

Herbs, Native Plants

Papalo Adjacent. The Bajacalias.

Bajacalia Bajacalia is a genus of three species of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae (1), native primarily to the Baja California peninsula in northwestern Mexico. The genus name derives from “Baja California,” reflecting the restricted range of its species in that region.(Loockerman et al 2003) Geographic distribution of Bajacalia : Gulf coast of Baja California Sur, Isla Ángel de la Guarda, and three … Continue reading Papalo Adjacent. The Bajacalias.

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Herbs, Native Plants

Porophyllum maritimum

Porophyllum maritimum. Heterotypic Synonyms (1) : Porophyllum porfyreum (Rose & Standl 1916) Porophyllum porfyreum Not a great specimen to be honest. (well it was collected in 1911) Also called : Odoro (1), Hierba del venado, Seaside purslane Also known as the Seaside Poreleaf (1), it belongs to the poreleaf genus, which includes, among others, the aromatic, culinary, and medicinal P. ruderale. Porophyllum linifolim Porophyllum maritimum … Continue reading Porophyllum maritimum

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Herbs, Native Plants

Papalo and its Southern Cousins

Even though I consider Papalo (1) to be a quintessentially Mexican herb I feel I must note that the Mother of this Family (2) originates from lands further south than the Basin of Mexico and is even commonly known as “Bolivian coriander”. I have briefly written on Papalo in Peru, a land sharing a border with Bolivia, (3) which I would like to expand upon … Continue reading Papalo and its Southern Cousins

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Herbs, Native Plants, The Kitchen

Chincho. A Peruvian Quelite

After the Porophyllum species my next favourite group of wild herbs is the Tagetes family. My favourite child would be Pericón (Tagetes lucida which is a very Mexican herb (1) but snapping close on its heels would be its southern, more Bolivian primo Huacatay (Tagetes minuta) (2). For more information on some of the perhaps more obscure members of the family also read…. Quelite : … Continue reading Chincho. A Peruvian Quelite

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Herbs

Quelite : Xilimago (Rabanillo/Jaramao)

This quelite (1), Xilimago (2) is the perfect example of a wildcrafted/foraged ingredient that’s difficult to find in the mercados and is a perfect exemplification of this Mexican category of edible plants (1). Native to Europe, the Azores, the Madeira Islands, the Canary Islands, northern Africa (i.e. Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia) and western Asia. Rabanillo is a rapidly spreading, invasive, frost hardy plant. … Continue reading Quelite : Xilimago (Rabanillo/Jaramao)

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Herbs, Native Plants

Quelite : Chichihuachi. Papalo Adjacent

In November of 2025 I visited Mexico and spent some time at a friends childhood home in Tetipac in the mountains of Guerrero between Ixtapan de la Sal and Taxco. His family has a long history in this area and his father, a very knowledgeable man, introduced me to a quelite known as chichihuachi. He described it as a “kind of papalo” whose flavour was … Continue reading Quelite : Chichihuachi. Papalo Adjacent

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Herbs, History, Native Plants

Quelite de Venado : Another Deer Weed

We add another one to the list : A Note on Deer Weed : The Danger of Common Names Scientific name: Peperomia lenticularis A plant with smooth, slightly heart-shaped green leaves. Common names : Sopa-causasa, cumazani, Tequelite chiquito (1) Known in other languages ​​as: cuc’sazan also Laktsu kuksasan (Totonac, northern mountains of Puebla) tancharapo (Nahuatl, northern mountain range of Puebla) Below are some descriptions of … Continue reading Quelite de Venado : Another Deer Weed

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Herbs, Native Plants

Porophyllum zimpanum

Let me introduce you to an uncommon Porophyllum, Porophyllum zimapanum (B. L. Turner). This porophyllum, named after its collector Billie Lee Turner (1) and the image below represents the only sample of this particular species. The plant was found growing in the cliffs of the Barranca de Toliman in the State of Hidalgo. Turner found this plant 10.5 miles West of Hotel Fundicion in Zimapan … Continue reading Porophyllum zimpanum

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Herbs, Native Plants

Porophyllum japonicum

Papalo has a primo chino or Chinese cousin who unfortunately has been poorly done by when it comes to its name. The Japanese named “Sanshichi-so” (Porophyllum japonicum) (1) belongs to the Asteraceae family as do the others originating in the Americas but it is a perennial herb that is native of the southern part of China. It was introduced into Japan as a herbal medicine … Continue reading Porophyllum japonicum

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Herbs, History, The Kitchen

Rábano. The Radish.

So. What is Mike complaining about? The radish (rábano en español) The radish (Raphanus sativus) is a flowering plant in the mustard family, Brassicaceae, which also includes Brassica rapa – the turnip, Brassica oleracea – the cabbage and its relatives (1); and Armoracia rusticana – horseradish. Other herbs in this family include arugula (rocket), mustard, and watercress (horseradish should be here I guess. I consider … Continue reading Rábano. The Radish.

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