Papalo Science Factsheet
Papalo Science Factsheet
Papalo Science Factsheet
(www.gardenmosaics.org)
PAPALO Science Page
DID YOU KNOW? CLASSIFYING PAPALO
In Mexico, papalo branches Papalo is a member of the Asteraceae, or Compositae, family.
are kept in water on café The composites make up the largest family of flowering plants,
tables, so diners can tear with about 20,000 species, including sunflowers and daisies.
up fresh leaves and add
them to beans or tortillas. FAMILY
GENUS
Asteraceae SPECIES
Porophyllum
(or Compositae) ruderale means
In Latin, this means
“leaves with pores.” “growing in rubble or
waste places.”
Pores are tiny
black- openings.
eyed You can see
susan the pores
on papalo
leaves
without a
sunflower microscope.
Oil comes Papalo grows well on dry
The flower head of a
out of the slopes, ravines, and
plant in this family is
pores,which roadsides. It has even
Because cooking destroys the commonly mistaken for
gives papalo been known to grow on
flavor, papalo leaves are only a single flower, but it
leaves a strong nearly bare rock.
used fresh or added to meals at really is many flowers
scent and flavor.
the last moment. grouped together.
SPOTLIGHT
CROSSWORD ON RESEARCH
Papalo chemicals may help ward off insect
Across
attacks
2. Papalo is a member of the Asteraceae
The oils secreted from glands in papalo
_____.
leaves give the plant its spicy scent. Scientists
3. The species name for papalo, ruderale,
at the University of Ottawa in Canada wanted to
means “growing in _____.”
find out if these oils play a role in defending the
5. Because cooking destroys the flavor, use
plant against insect attack. The glands that
only _____ leaves.
secrete the oils have openings, or pores, that
6. Pick papalo leaves when they are _____ for
are very large. The scientists were able to insert
a milder flavor.
a micropipette through the pores and into the
7. Papalo leaves are used to flavor _____.
glands to extract the oil. They put these oils on
Down
the larvae of European corn borers and
1. You can use papalo from cooking instead of
measured their growth rate. They discovered
this herb.
that the oils from the glands alone did not affect
2. Papalo cannot survive ______ temperatures.
growth rate of the larvae. However, when the
4. The genus name Porophyllum means “leaves
oils were combined with other compounds also
with _____.”
1. found in papalo leaves, the larvae did grow
slower. This suggests that perhaps someday
2. scientists can use the compounds in papalo to
make pesticides.
Source: Guillet, G., Bélanger, A., and Arnason, J.T. (1998). Volatile
monoterpenes in Porophyllum gracile and P. ruderale: identification,
3. localization and insecticdal synergism. Phytochemistry 49, 423-429.
Ha! Ha!
Ha!
Ha!
Ha! Ha!
Ha! Ha
! JOKE
4. 5.
We eat what
6. What are we can, and
you going what we
to do with can’t we can!
all that
salsa?
7.
GUACAMOLE
You can add papalo to guacamole. Serve
SALSA CRUDA (RAW SALSA) guacamole with tortilla chips and tacos, or as a
Here is a tasty salsa to serve with tacos or vegetable dip.
tortilla chips. Ingredients
Mix the following ingredients together: * 1/2 onion, finely chopped
* 6 medium-sized tomatoes, finely chopped * a handful of papalo leaves, finely chopped
* 1/2 cup (more or less to taste) finely * 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
chopped whole chilies * 1 avocado
* 1/3 cup finely chopped onions * 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* handful of papalo leaves, finely chopped Instructions
* 1 teaspoon salt 1. Cut the avocado in half lengthwise. Use a
spoon to remove the pit and scoop out the
flesh of the avocado. Throw the skin away.
2. Add lemon juice, which keeps the avocado
from turning brown.
3. Mash all the ingredients together with a
fork.
Garden Mosaics is funded by the National Science Foundation Informal Science Education program, and by
the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University.