Family: Amaranthaceae
Chenopodium album
Citation:
L., Sp. Pl. 219 (1753).
Synonymy: C. probstii Aellen in Probst, Mitt. Naturf. Ges. Solothurn 20, 8:56 (1928).
Common name: Fat hen, white goosefoot, blue weed.
Description:
Perennial herb c. 1 m high, strongly aromatic; branches glabrous or almost so; leaves elliptic to narrow-elliptic, coarsely serrate or incised, narrowed at the base into a short petiole, in all c. 10 cm long; undersurface with sessile globular oil-filled hairs.
Flowers in small glomerules forming leafy or leafless particles; terminal flower of each glomerule bisexual; perianth deeply 5-lobed, glabrous; stamens 5; ovary pubescent above with shortly stipitate geniculate hairs; lateral flowers female.
Perianth depressed, shortly 5-toothed; pericarp free; seed horizontal or oblique, obtusely lenticular, c. 1 mm diam., smooth, glossy; embryo horseshoe-shaped.
Published illustration:
Ross-Craig (1968) Drawings Brit. Pl. 25:t. 15; Cunningham et al. (1982) Plants of western New South Wales, p. 259.
Distribution:
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Frequently found in disturbed situations.
S.Aust.: GT, FR, EP, NL, MU, YP, SL, KI, SE. All States; cosmopolitan. Native of tropical America.
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Conservation status:
native
Flowering time: mainly Jan. — July.
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SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia
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Biology:
No text
Taxonomic notes:
A variable species in which numerous infraspecific taxa have been described. Chenopodium probstii is recognised by some recent European authors as distinct and native to North America.
Key to Infraspecific taxa:
Author:
Not yet available
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