Chenopodium chenopodioides (Linnaeus) Aellen

The name Chenopodium botryodes Smith was sometimes applied to C. chenopodioides because of uncertainty about the proper application and typification of the name Blitum chenopodioides Linnaeus. The recent publication by P. Uotila (2001) provides a reasonable solution by maintaining the traditional usage through neotypification of the Linnaean name.

The distribution of this species is insufficiently known because of confusion with Chenopodium rubrum. However, C. chenopodioides is confined to saline habitats (coastal and inland salt-marshes).

Stems erect to prostrate, much-branched, 0.1-3.5 dm, glabrous. Leaves nonaromatic; petiole to 0.28 cm; blade deltate or narrowly deltate, 0.8-6 × 0.2-3.5 cm, base cuneate, margins entire or broadly dentate, apex acute to obtuse. Inflorescences lateral glomerules sessile on lateral branched spikes; glomerules subglobose, 3-4 mm diam.; bracts oblanceolate to linear, 0.2-1.5 cm. Flowers: perianth segments 3, connate almost to apex into 0.5-0.8 mm tube; lobes deltate, 0.1-0.5 × 0.3-0.4 mm, membranous, apex acute, flat or occasionally keeled-corniculate, glabrous, green and covering fruit at maturity; stamen 1; stigmas 2, 0.2 mm. Utricles ovoid; pericarp nonadherent, reticulate-punctate. Seeds vertical and horizontal, ovoid, 0.6-0.9 mm diam., margins rounded; seed coat black, smooth.

Herbs annual, 20-50 cm tall. Stem erect, much branched, green striate, ribbed, usually not farinose. Leaf blade green abaxially, dark green adaxially, broadly triangular, 3-4 cm, slightly broader than long, ca. 2 × as long as petiole, slightly succulent, glabrous or slightly farinose, base truncate or broadly cuneate, decurrent to base of petiole, margin serrate or subentire, apex obtuse or shortly acuminate. Glomerules arranged in spikelike panicles on branches; central flowers of glomerules bisexual, lateral ones female. Female flowers: perianth obconic, 2-4-lobed, succulent; lobes cochleariform, unequal, abaxially keeled. Bisexual flowers: perianth depressed hemispheric, 4- or 5-parted; stamens as many as perianth segments. Seed vertical in female flowers, horizontal in bisexual flowers, yellow-brown, sublustrous, depressed ovoid, 0.5-0.75 mm in diam., slightly pitted, rim margin obtuse; embryo annular. Fl. and fr. Aug-Sep.

Calif., Colo., Nev., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wyo.; South America.

Fruiting summer-fall.

Borders of lakes and ponds, lake bottoms, in fields; 100-2400m.

Gobi desert. N Xinjiang [N Africa, C and SW Asia, Europe, North America].

Blitum chenopodioides Linnaeus, Mant. Pl. 2: 170. 1771; Chenopodium botryodes Smith; C. chenopodioides var. degenianum (Aellen) Aellen; C. crassifolium Hornemann

Blitum chenopodioides Linnaeus, Mant. Pl. 2: 170. 1771; B. polymorphum C. A. Meyer, p.p.; Chenopodium botryodes Smith.