Dysphania ambrosioides
mexican tea, mexican-tea, wormseed, epazote
Photo credit: Larry Allain, U.S. Geological Survey
Family
Chenopodiaceae
Leaf Arrangement
alternate
Leaf Attachment
petiolate
Leaf Margin
dentate, pinnatifid, serrate, sinuate
Leaf Type
simple
Leaf Shape
oblong, lanceolate, ovate
Growth Form
forb, shrub
Flower Month
July - November
Height (meters)
0.3 - 2.0
Milky Sap
No
Armed/Unarmed
Unarmed
Origin
native
Lifespan
annual, perennial
Wetland Class
FACU
Wetland Coefficient of Conservatism
0
Field Characters
Annual growing to 1.2 m tall, irregularly branched, with 12 cm long leaves. Its flowers are small and green and occur in a panicle at the top of the stem.
Habitat
A weed in garden, roadsides, waste places, cultivated fields, shores, salt marshes.
Plant Uses
A traditional leaf vegetable in Mexico used for its pungent flavor.