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Published In: Species Plantarum 1: 218–219. 1753. (1 May 1753) (Sp. Pl.) Name publication detailView in BotanicusView in Biodiversity Heritage Library
 

Project Name Data (Last Modified On 8/11/2017)
Acceptance : Accepted
Project Data     (Last Modified On 7/9/2009)
Status: Native

 

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17. Chenopodium rubrum L. (coast blite, red goosefoot)

C. rubrum var. humile (Hook.) S. Watson

Pl. 356 l, m; Map 1537

Plants annual, without an odor. Stems 20–80 cm long, erect or ascending, few- to much-branched from near the base, glabrous, often somewhat reddish-tinged or reddish-striped. Leaves short- to long-petiolate. Leaf blades 1–10 cm long, mostly 1–2 times as long as wide, ovate-triangular to somewhat rhombic, bluntly to sharply pointed at the tip, angled or tapered at the base, sometimes with a pair of more or less ascending triangular basal lobes, green and slightly fleshy in texture, the margins otherwise entire, wavy or with few to several blunt, irregular teeth, the surfaces glabrous. Venation noticeably branched, with 1 or 3 main veins. Inflorescences axillary and sometimes also terminal, consisting of dense clusters of flowers (remaining 3–5 mm in diameter at fruiting), the terminal ones usually arranged into spikes, these sometimes grouped into small panicles. Flowers not all maturing at the same time. Calyx 3(–5)-lobed nearly to the base, remaining small, green, and herbaceous to scalelike at maturity, more or less covering the fruit at maturity, the lobes 0.9–1.2 mm long, oblong-elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, rounded to bluntly pointed at the tip, rounded or somewhat pouched dorsally, rarely slightly keeled, glabrous or sparsely white-mealy. Stamens usually 3–5. Stigmas 2. Fruits 0.7–1.2 mm long, ovoid, the seeds positioned mostly vertically, the wall thin, membranous, and somewhat translucent, smooth, easily separated from the seed. Seeds reddish brown to dark brown, shiny, finely roughened and/or with a faint network of fine, low ridges, angled along the rim. 2n=36. July–November.

Introduced, uncommon and sporadic (native of eastern North America, Europe, Asia; introduced sporadically elsewhere in the U.S.). Roadsides and open, disturbed areas.

Several variants have been named within this species. Bassett and Crompton (1982), who studied C. rubrum in Canada, suggested that these varieties represented merely ecological forms unworthy of formal taxonomic recognition. The few Missouri specimens key to var. rubrum, because of their relatively small seeds, ascending stems, well-developed inflorescences, and toothed leaves. The limits of the range of C. rubrum are not understood fully, and it is unclear how far west in the United States the species grows natively. However, the few specimens from Missouri all clearly all originated from introduced populations.

 


 

 
 
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