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Published In: Repertorium Specierum Novarum Regni Vegetabilis 26(1–6): 63–64. 1929. (Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg.) Name publication detail
 

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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5. Chenopodium bushianum Aellen

C. berlandieri var. bushianum (Aellen) Cronquist

C. paganum Rchb.

Pl. 353 d, e; Map 1525

Plants annual, without an odor. Stems (20–)40–200 cm long, erect or ascending, usually few- to several-branched above the base and below the inflorescence, glabrous or more commonly sparsely to moderately white-mealy, sometimes reddish-tinged or reddish-striped. Leaves mostly long-petiolate. Leaf blades 1–12 cm long, mostly 1–3 times as long as wide (1–5 cm wide), mostly rhombic to ovate-rhombic, less commonly ovate-triangular, the uppermost usually linear to narrowly lanceolate, angled or tapered from below the midpoint to a usually sharply pointed tip, the middle lobe not appearing unusually elongate, angled at the base, green or reddish-tinged, relatively thin and herbaceous in texture, the margins entire to wavy or irregularly several-toothed (the basal pair of teeth usually larger than the others), sometimes with a pair of shallow lobes and otherwise entire, the upper surface glabrous or sparsely to moderately mealy at maturity, not shiny, the undersurface sparsely to densely white-mealy. Venation noticeably branched, with 1 or 3 main veins. Inflorescences axillary and terminal, consisting of short spikes with small clusters of flowers, the terminal ones usually grouped into small to relatively large panicles, these sometimes drooping at maturity. Flowers not all maturing at the same time. Calyx 5-lobed nearly to the base, covering the entire fruit, the lobes 1.4–2.0 mm long, ovate to triangular-ovate, rounded or bluntly to sharply pointed at the tip, slightly and narrowly keeled or raised along the midvein dorsally, sparsely to less commonly densely white-mealy. Stamens 5. Stigmas 2. Fruits 1.5–2.2 mm wide, depressed-ovoid, the seeds positioned horizontally, the wall thin, membranous, and somewhat translucent, appearing honeycombed (often visible only with magnification), finely pitted, the pits usually more or less rectangular, separated by a network of thin ridges, usually uniformly difficult to separate from the seed. Seeds reddish brown to more commonly black, dull, finely wrinkled, rounded to very bluntly angled along the rim. 2n=36. August–October.

Scattered but sporadic nearly throughout the state (eastern U.S. west to North Dakota and Kansas, Canada). Banks of streams, rivers, and spring branches, and mesic upland forests; also open, disturbed areas.

Steyermark (1963) noted that in addition to the large, reticulate fruits and large, thin leaves, other characteristic features of this species include the relatively pale green color of the foliage and the often lead-colored, drooping inflorescences produced in the autumn when most of the leaves have already been shed. He predicted that C. bushianum eventually would be found in nearly every county of Missouri, but its distribution has remained sporadic in the state.

 


 

 
 
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