Back Cnidoscolus aconitifolius AST Cnidoscolus aconitifolius CEB Cnidoscolus aconitifolius German Cnidoscolus aconitifolius Spanish Cnidoscolus aconitifolius French Cnidoscolus aconitifolius ID മരച്ചീര Malayalam Cnidoscolus aconitifolius Polish Cnidoscolus aconitifolius Swedish คะน้าเม็กซิโก Thai
| Cnidoscolus aconitifolius | |
|---|---|
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| 'Estrella' | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Euphorbiaceae |
| Genus: | Cnidoscolus |
| Species: | C. aconitifolius
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| Binomial name | |
| Cnidoscolus aconitifolius | |
| Subspecies[2][3] | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Cnidoscolus aconitifolius, commonly known as chaya, tree spinach, or spinach tree, is a large, fast-growing and leafy perennial shrub that is believed to have originated in the Yucatán Peninsula of southeastern México.[4] The specific epithet, aconitifolius, refers to the plant’s "Aconitum-like leaves"—coincidentally, another well-known dangerous, even deadly, genus of plants. As with most euphorbias, the entire plant contains a caustic, viscous and potentially dangerous white sap which flows readily when any part of the plant is broken, cut or damaged.
The plant can grow to be 6 metres (20 ft) tall, but usually is pruned to approximately 2 metres (6.6 ft) for easier leaf harvest. It is a popular leaf vegetable in some regional Mexican and other Central American cuisines, used similarly to cooked Swiss chard or spinach. White, typically unremarkable flowers are borne of a terminal panicle held high above the foliage, superficially resembling the small flowering bracts of similar plants like poinsettia or crown-of-thorns.
The leaves should always be cooked before being eaten, as the raw leaves contain a high amount of toxic hydrocyanic acid, in addition to the irritating sap typical of Euphorbiaceae family members. Care should be taken to avoid getting any raw plant material into one’s mucous membranes; i.e., the sap, juice and hydrocyanic acids should, ideally, never contact one’s mouth, eyes, genitals, nose, inner ears or any otherwise open wound or injury. Varying complications can arise from this, ranging from simple irritation to severe burning pain, temporary blindness (if contact is made with the eyes) and loss of smell or taste (in the nose or mouth). While not recommended to consume raw, some sources state that no more than 2-5 raw leaves can, potentially, be eaten per day. However, to truly be eaten safely, the required cooking time for leaves is 5–15 minutes,[6][7][8] with 20 minutes being recommended most often in recipes. Additionally, it should not be cooked in aluminum cookware, due to the “malleable”, soft nature of aluminum and the corrosive nature of this plant’s innate alkaloids.[8]
- ^ Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) & & IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group (2019). "Cnidoscolus aconitifolius". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T146774680A146774682. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
- ^ "EOL Search: Cnidoscolus aconitifolius". Encyclopedia of Life. 4 June 2010. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
- ^ "Search Results for: Cnidoscolus aconitifolius". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Archived from the original on 22 September 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
- ^ a b G.J.H. Grubben; O.A. Denton, eds. (2004). Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Vol. 2: Vegetables. PROTA Foundation. pp. 200–201. ISBN 978-90-5782-147-9.
- ^ "Cnidoscolus aconitifolius". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
- ^ Grubben, G. J. H. (2004). Vegetables. PROTA. p. 200. ISBN 9789057821479.
chaya.
- ^ Dawn Berkelaar. "CHAYA" (PDF). People.umass.edu. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
- ^ a b "Nature's Solution to Malnutrition" (PDF). Miraclesinaction.org. Retrieved 18 March 2022.