Chia — Biology
Documentation outlineEvidence limits
⚠️ Status: outline only. All values below are Unknown until sources are registered and tagged (see docs/methodology/evidence.md).
Taxonomy
Section titled “Taxonomy”- Family: Lamiaceae. Evidence: Known (basic biology).
- Genus/species: Salvia hispanica. (There are also less-common cultivated Salvia columbariae and close relatives; do not conflate.) Evidence: L/Unknown.
Growth habit
Section titled “Growth habit”- Growth form (erect annual herb). Unknown.
- Stem structure and height range at maturity. Unknown.
- Branching pattern / how many inflorescences per plant. Unknown.
Root system
Section titled “Root system”- Root type and depth; implications for watering and density. Unknown.
Lifecycle
Section titled “Lifecycle”- Annual vs other. Unknown (expected annual; confirm).
- Days from sowing to flowering, flowering to maturity. Unknown.
- Total days to harvest (min–max). Unknown.
Flowering
Section titled “Flowering”- Inflorescence type (spike/raceme; whorls). Unknown.
- Flowering duration and its relation to maturity of the seed heads. Unknown.
Pollination
Section titled “Pollination”- Self- vs cross-pollination; insect dependence. Unknown.
Photoperiod (critical for chia)
Section titled “Photoperiod (critical for chia)”- Day-length response (short-day flowering reported historically; modern cultivars may differ). Conflicting / Unknown — this is a known point of nuance, record cultivars separately.
Seed development
Section titled “Seed development”- Seed size / 1,000-seed weight (g). Unknown.
- Seed structure relevant to cleaning (gel-producing mucilage on wetting). Unknown.
- Color of mature seeds. Unknown.