Pokeweed: mineral and oxalic acid content with a comparison to spinach

Abstract

Pokeweed, a widely used wild vegetable, was gathered on a weekly basis during the harvesting season (May 26 through August 11, 1982) and analyzed for calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and oxalic acid. Since pokeweed and spinach are considered to be of similar eating quality, a comparison was made to like nutrient values of spinach.

Pokeweed leaves produced the highest amount of phosphorus, zinc, and iron and the least amount of oxalic acid during early growth (May 26 through June 2, 1982) allowing these minerals to be more available than during the remainder of the growing season. Pokeweed leaves contained the highest amount of calcium and magnesium during the middle part of the harvesting season (July 21 and July 28, 1982).

Pokeweed leaves contained amounts of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc comparable to spinach and half the oxalic acid content of spinach leaves. Pokeweed leaves may be considered an important contributor of minerals to human nutrition since pokeweed leaves con- tained a larger percentage (wet weight basis) of the U.S. RDA for calcium, zinc, and magnesium than did spinach leaves.