Salvia hispanica

Chia is an annual herb growing up to tall, with opposite leaves that are long and wide. Its flowers are purple or white and are produced in numerous clusters in a spike at the end of each stem. Typically, the seeds are small ovals with a diameter around . They are mottle-colored, with brown, gray, black, and white. The seeds are hydrophilic, absorbing up to 12 times their weight in liquid when soaked. While soaking, the seeds develop a mucilaginous coating that gives chia-based beverages a distinctive gelatinous texture. Many plants cultivated as S.hispanica are in fact S. officinalis subsp. lavandulifolia (syn. S. lavandulifolia). == Etymology ==

The word chia is derived from the Nahuatl word , meaning 'oily'. Other plants known as chia include Salvia columbariae, which is sometimes called "golden chia", Salvia polystachia, and Salvia tiliifolia. == Distribution and habitat ==

Chia is native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala. It is hardy from USDA Zones 9–12. == Cultivation ==

Chia is grown and consumed commercially in its native Mexico and Guatemala, as well as Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Nicaragua, northwestern Argentina, parts of Australia, and the southwestern United States. New patented varieties of chia have been bred in Kentucky for cultivation in northern latitudes of the United States. It is grown commercially for its seed, a food rich in omega-3 fatty acids since the seeds yield 25–30% extractable oil, including α-linolenic acid. Typical composition of the fat of the oil is 55% ω-3, 18% ω-6, 6% ω-9, and 10% saturated fat. Climate and growing cycle length The length of the growing cycle for chia varies based on location and is influenced by elevation. For production sites located in different ecosystems in Bolivia, Ecuador and northwestern Argentina, growing cycles are between 100 and 150 days in duration. Accordingly, commercial production fields are located in the range of altitude across a variety of ecosystems ranging from tropical coastal desert, to tropical rain forest, and inter-Andean dry valley. S. hispanica is a short-day flowering plant, indicating its photoperiodic sensitivity and lack of photoperiodic variability in traditional cultivars, which has limited commercial use of chia seeds to tropical and subtropical latitudes until 2012. Now, traditional domesticated lines of Salvia species grow naturally or can be cultivated in temperate zones at higher latitudes in the United States. The plant prefers well-drained, moderately fertile soils, but can cope with acid soils and moderate drought. In modern commercial production, a typical sowing rate of and row spacing of are usually applied. Irrigation frequency in chia production fields may vary from none to eight irrigations per growing season, depending on climatic conditions and rainfall. Seed weight and color have high heritability, with a single recessive gene responsible for white color. Weeds may present a problem in the early development of the chia crop until its canopy closes, but because chia is sensitive to most commonly used herbicides, mechanical weed control is preferred. ==Nutrition==

Dried chia seeds are 6% water, 42% carbohydrates, 17% protein, and 31% fat (table). In a reference amount of , chia seeds supply 486 calories and are a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of several B vitamins and dietary minerals (table). == References ==