CHENOPODIACEAE

GOOSEFOOT FAMILY

Dieter H. Wilken, except as specified

Annual to tree, sometimes monoecious or dioecious, glandular or with bead-like hairs that collapse with age, becoming scaly or powdery
Stem often fleshy
Leaves generally alternate, entire to lobed; veins generally pinnate
Inflorescence: raceme, spike, catkin-like, or spheric cluster, or flower 1; bracts 0–few
Flower: sepals 1–5, often 0 in pistillate flowers, free or fused, generally persistent in fruit; petals 0; stamens 0–5; ovary generally superior, chamber 1, ovule 1, styles 1–3
Fruit: generally utricle
Seed 1, vertical (fruit compressed side-to-side) or horizontal (fruit compressed top-to-bottom)
Genera in family: 100 genera, 1300 species: worldwide, especially deserts, saline or alkaline soils; some cultivated for food (Beta , beets, chard; Chenopodium , quinoa)
Recent taxonomic note: Recently treated in expanded Amaranthaceae

SUAEDA

SEA-BLITE, SEEPWEED

Wayne R. Ferren, Jr.

Annual, perennial herb, shrubs, glabrous to hairy
Leaves generally alternate; blade entire, sometimes cylindric or upper surface flat, fleshy, generally glaucous, tip acute or pointed
Inflorescence: cyme; clusters sessile, generally arrayed in compound spikes; bracts leaf-like or reduced; bractlets subtending flowers 1–3, minute, membranous; flowers 1–12
Flower generally bisexual; calyx radial or bilateral, lobes 5, rounded, hooded, keeled, horned, or wing-margined; ovary ± lenticular, rounded, conic or with a neck-like extension, stigmas 2–3(5)
Fruit: utricle, enclosed in calyx
Seed horizontal or vertical, lenticular or flat, of 2 kinds in some species
Species in genus: 115 species: worldwide, saline and alkaline soils
Etymology: (ancient Arabic name)
Reference: [Ferren & Whitmore 1983 Madroño 30:181–190]
Horticultural information: STBL.

Native

S. nigra (Raf.) J.F. Macbr.

BUSH SEEPWEED

Subshrub, shrub 2–15 dm, glabrous or hairy, glaucous
Stems spreading or erect, several, base generally woody; annual stems shiny, yellow-brown; branches spreading
Leaves ascending to widely spreading, generally not overlapping; petiole 1 mm; blade 10–30 mm, subcylindric to flat, linear to narrowly lanceolate, base narrow, yellow-green or red
Inflorescence generally open; clusters confined to upper stems; branches thin, 0.7–2 mm diam; flowers 1–12 per cluster; bracts generally < leaves
Flower bisexual or lateral pistillate, radial, 0.7–2 mm; calyx lobes rounded; ovary ± pear-shaped, stigmas 3, hairy-papillate
Seed horizontal or vertical, 0.5–1 mm, biconvex, shiny, black
Ecology: Interior and desert (rarely coastal), alkaline and saline places
Elevation: < 1600 m.
Bioregional distribution: Great Central Valley, San Francisco Bay Area, Southwestern California, Great Basin Floristic Province, Desert
Distribution outside California: to w Canada, Texas, Mexico
Flowering time: May–Sep
Synonyms: S. torreyana S. Watson including var. ramosissima (Standley) Munz; S. fruticosa (L.) Forssk. misapplied