Why not add a flavorful zing?

Thanks to its tolerance for heat, this garden green is sometimes called “summer cilantro.” Bolivian coriander is another name, although it’s not at all related to that herb. This plant, papalo ( Porophyllum ruderale), originated in South America but is actually part of the daisy family.

Papalo is popular among the Quechua of Bolivia as well as the people of southern Mexico. In restaurants in Puebla state, it’s common to find a sprig of papalo stuck in a vase on the table, next to the salt, pepper and salsas — ready to be added raw to soups, tacos, tortas or beans.

Pedro Barrera, a board member of the Stanford-Avalon Community Garden in L.A., said the plant grows wild in his native Jalisco state in Mexico.

“They don’t eat it there because it smells too strong. I like the flavor a lot,” he said, adding that members of his community garden grow papalo in rows.

Papalo lends a piquant flavor that hints of cilantro, arugula, cucumber and citrus. It’s used with fresh papaya and in fish dishes, salsas and guacamole, but it has a stronger bouquet than cilantro — partly why, when used in place of cilantro, cooks often add only about a third as much.

According to the magazine Herb Companion, Alice Waters became a fan more than a dozen years ago when she encountered the leaf at an American Institute of Wine & Food festival. She bought seeds for the Chez Panisse garden.

The plant likes full sun, good drainage and a bit of room, although it does well in containers. It typically can grow 4 to 5 feet high. Small holes may appear in the mature leaves, but what looks like insect damage actually are porous oil glands. Getting it: Seeds are available online

www.egardenseed.com and www.sandmountainherbs.com.