Zbiornik Jeziorsko, near Warta

It is native to Americas where was first domesticated. Edible plant - seeds raw or cooked; oil made of seeds is widely used; young flower buds steamed and served like globe artichoke; the roasted seed is a coffee and drinking chocolate substitute; the leaf petioles are boiled and mixed in with other foodstuffs. Herbal use - a tea made from the leaves is astringent, diuretic and expectorant, it is used in the treatment of high fevers; the crushed leaves are used as a poultice on sores, swellings, snakebites and spider bites; a tea made from the flowers is used in the treatment of malaria and lung ailment; the flowering head and seeds are febrifuge, nutritive and stomachic; seeds are also considered to be diuretic and expectorant; a decoction of the roots has been used as a warm wash on rheumatic aches and pains. Useful plant - can be grown as a spring-sown green manure, they produce a good bulk of material.