| TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
For up-to-date information about California vascular plants, visit the Jepson eFlora. |
AND IS MAINTAINED FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY |
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
Annual or perennial herb, glabrous, glandular, or powdery
Stem: branches 0 to generally ± spreading
Leaves generally petioled, linear to deltate, entire to lobed, reduced upward; base generally tapered
Inflorescence: spheric clusters, spikes, or panicle-like, generally dense; bracts generally 0; flowers generally sessile
Flower: calyx segments generally 5, fused or not, persistent, flat to keeled; stamens generally 5; ovary lenticular to spheric, stigmas 2–5
Seed vertical or horizontal, red-brown to black; wall very thin
Species in genus: ± 150 species: temp; some cultivated for food or grain
Etymology: (Greek: goose foot, from leaf shape of some)
Reference: [Wahl 1954 Bartonia 27:1–46; Crawford 1975 Brittonia 27:279–288]
Fr generally required for identification.
| Introduced |
Annual 45–120+ cm
Leaves glabrous or sparsely powdery above; basal 25–40 mm, generally ovate, irregularly serrate; cauline 12–20 mm, lanceolate to narrowly ovate, entire
Flower: sepals not enclosing fruit, back flat or weakly keeled, sparsely powdery
Fruit ± 1 mm diam; wall generally adherent to seed
Seed horizontal
Chromosomes: 2n=36
Ecology: Open, disturbed places
Elevation: < 1700 m.
Bioregional distribution: Cascade Range Foothills, Sierra Nevada, Great Central Valley, San Francisco Bay Area, Outer South Coast Ranges, South Coast, San Bernardino Mountains, Desert Mountains (uncommon)
Distribution outside California: to Canada; native to e US
Flowering time: Aug–Oct
Perhaps best considered part of C. album. Var. strictum native to Eurasia.