Chenopodium album

Lamb's Quarters (Chenopodium album) grows up to 5 feet tall, flowering and seeding in a single year. It usually begins as an upright plant, then becomes more recumbent after flowering, owing to the weight of the seeds. Because there are many species and they hybridize so readily, the taxanomy is complex. Some people know it as "Goosefoot" or "Fat Hen" (although in Britain, Fat Hen is another name for Chenopodium bonus-henricus, or Good King Henry).

Identification
Chenopodium forms a large genus of flowering plants in the family Amaranthaceae. Lamb's Quarters has leaves which alternate with often quite variable shapes. The first leaves, near the base of the plant, have teeth and look somewhat diamond shaped, whereas the younger leaves towards the top of the plant tend to form more of a lance shape. You should find a slight waxy bloom on the underside of the leaves that gives them a silvery or white dusty appearance.

Uses
Many gardeners and farmers consider lamb's quarters a weed, however, the plant does have several culinary uses and has considerable nutritive value. You can cook the leaves like spinach or eat them raw in a salad. Cooked, the flavor most resembles spinach, but with a "meatier" texture; raw the leaves are fairly mild with a slightly nutty flavor. Grinding the seeds produces an edible flour. The leaves contain high levels of vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium. Like most chenopodia, the seeds are coated with saponins which should ideally be washed off before eating. This water can then be used as a soap.