Category: Herbs

Curanderismo, Herbs, Native Plants, The Kitchen

Flores Medicinales : Matlalxochitl

Botanical synonyms and subspecies Allosperma tuberosa (L.) Raf. Commelina acuminata Kunth Commelina alpestris Standl. et Steyerm. Commelina coelestis fo. albipetala Matuda Commelina coelestis Willd. Commelina dianthifolia Delile Commelina elliptica Kunth Commelina fasciculata Ruiz et Pav. Commelina graminifolia Kunth Commelina pallida Schltdl. Commelina pallida Willd. Commelina tuberosa L. Commelina tuberosa Lour. Commelina tuberosa Redouté Commelina tuberosa var. inflata M. Martens et Galeotti Commelina tuberosa var. nana M. Martens et Galeotti Also called : barquito, cacamatlalin (Bye and Linares, 2013), caña de pollo, … Continue reading Flores Medicinales : Matlalxochitl

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Herbs, Native Plants, The Kitchen

Quelite : Metezurras

This Post is purely for informational purposes only. I have no personal experience using this herb either culinarily or medicinally and as much of the information on this species can be contradictory I recommend caution be demonstrated. A caution like this also demonstrates somewhat the loss of knowledge with regards to plants of this nature. The wild, weedy plants are often overlooked and replaced with … Continue reading Quelite : Metezurras

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Curanderismo, Herbs, The Kitchen

Quelite : Nurite

Nurite According to Martinez-Gordillo et al. (2013), Mexico has 14 species of Clinopodium, of which 10 species are endemic: C. amissum (Epling et Játiva) Harley C. ganderi (Epling) Govaerts C. hintoniorum (B.L. Turner) Govaerts C. jaliscanum (McVaugh et R. Schmid) Govaerts C. macrostemum (Moc. Et Sessé ex Benth.) Kuntze C. maderense (Henr.) Govaerts C. mexicanum (Benth.) Govaerts C. micromerioides (Hemsl.) Govaerts C. palmeri (A. Gray) … Continue reading Quelite : Nurite

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Curanderismo, Herbs, Native Plants, The Kitchen

Trans-Pecos Poreleaf

Quelite : Porophyllum scoparium delves into this herb from a Mexican point of view (1). Here we look at it from the other side of the Rio Bravo (the Rio Grande if you’re standing on its northern banks). I go into greater detail of its culinary and its medicinal usage. This plant is very interesting is that it is being used in a clinical environment … Continue reading Trans-Pecos Poreleaf

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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) the “daisy” Family. Papalo (Porophyllum) is in the same Family Geographic distribution of Bajacalia : Gulf coast of … 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) A heterotypic synonym, also known as a taxonomic synonym or subjective synonym, is a scientific name based on a different type specimen than the currently accepted name, but which taxonomists (2) consider to belong to the same taxon (3). Unlike homotypic synonyms (4), they represent a matter of opinion or classification. Taxonomists are … 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). Quelite : Pericón : Tagetes lucida Quelite : Huacatay : Tagetes minuta For more information on some of … 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). See Quelites : Quilitl for a basic breakdown of these wildcrafted herbs and plants although this word, xilimago, is referenced as being Nahuatl in origin I cannot find it in any of … 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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