Yerba Porosa
Porophyllum ruderale
Family: Asteraceae
These plants are annuals or sometimes perennials. Aromatic plants growing 1-3’ tall depending on resources. Slender flowers are green on the outside, and brown with yellow tips on the ends of the flowers. If plants die back, they reseed readily in the landscape.
Plant in full to part sun with moderate water and good drainage. Hardiness unknown.
Birds eat the seeds. Larval host for several species of owlet moths (family Noctuidae) and the dainty sulfur butterfly (Nathalis iole).
Having been used by many cultures, Porophyllum ruderale is known by many names, including Bolivian coriander, quillquiña (also spelled quirquiña or quilquiña), yerba porosa, killi, pápalo, tepegua, rupay wachi, mampuritu, pápaloquelite and summer cilantro.
Despite the name "Bolivian coriander" and "summer cilantro", this plant is not botanically related to Coriandrum sativum. The terms pápaloquelite and pápalo are used in Mexico, and the herb there commonly accompanies tacos. Not all Mexicans enjoy its taste, but some find that it improves the flavor of tacos and typical Mexican salsas and soups. In Bolivia it is typically used as an ingredient along with tomatoes and locotos to prepare llajwa. In Puebla cuisine, pápalo is used as a condiment on traditional cemita sandwiches, a regional type of Mexican torta. Pápalo was used in the Azteca era, but never as medicine, only as food.
Porophyllum is a genus of about 32 species native to the Americas. The genus name, Porophyllum, is from Greek poros, a passage or pore, and phyllon, leaf, a reference to the translucent glands on the leaf, and the species name, ruderale is from the Latin word ‘rudus’ meaning “rubble” or ruderale, and thus growing in disturbed areas.