Striped Goosefoot

Presumed native American plants of Chenopodium strictum were recognized as a separate species, subspecies, or variety [C. glaucophyllum Aellen; C. strictum subsp. glaucophyllum (Aellen) Aellen; C. strictum var. glaucophyllum (Aellen) Wahl]. These plants are very variable, and usually have broader leaves and more lax inflorescences, which might be a result of hybridization with other species of the C. album aggregate. The native status of such forms is very questionable. Typical C. strictum also occurs in North America, but seems to be less common. Some narrow species and hybrids of the C. strictum aggregate are recognized in Eurasia (P. Aellen 1928; F. Dvo ák 1989; P. Uotila 1977, 1993, 1997). Some of these taxa, especially C. striatiforme Murr and C. novopokrovskyanum (Aellen) Uotila, are superficially similar to the native North American taxa of subsect. Leptophylla. Eurasian forms of the C. strictum group usually can be distinguished by their venation pattern (in most cases more than three visible veins even in narrowest leaves). Considering the likely alien status and wide variability of C. strictum in North America, no attempt is made here to subdivide it into infraspecific entities.

The Chenopodium strictum group includes several closely related, predominantly (or exclusively?) tetraploid (2n = 36) species or infraspecific taxa, such as C. novopokrovskyanum (Aellen) Uotila, C. striatiforme Murr, C. strictum, and some others. Chenopodium novopokrovskyanum (Aellen) Uotila (Ann. Bot. Fenn. 30: 192. 1993; C. album Linnaeus subsp. novopokrovskyanum Aellen, Trudy Rostovsk. Otd. Vsesoyuzn. Bot. Obshch. 2: 3. 1938) differs from C. strictum in having leaf blades narrow, densely farinose (grayish green to silvery), and with the margin entire or subentire, occasionally with 1, rarely 2, pairs of teeth. In its overall habit, C. novopokrovskyanum is superficially similar to North American species of C. subsect. Leptophylla Clemants & Mosyakin, but it is not directly related to them. Chenopodium novopokrovskyanum is known from the steppe and desert zones of SE Europe (SE European Russia and SE Ukraine), C and SW Asia, and probably also NW China, W Mongolia, and S Siberia. The distribution of this taxon in China needs clarification.

The colour, leaf shape, densely spicate inflorescence and small, ovate seeds are typical for C. strictum and differentiate it from C. album. However, young plants may be difficult to determine. C. strictum in our area is often only several tens of cm tall and a fairly slender plant with spreading branches along the stem and narrow, entire leaves. Such plants are somewhat similar to C. strictum subsp. striatiforme (Murr) Uotila from Europe. Possibly they reflect taxonomic heterogeneity of C. strictum in our area. They cause difficulties even in delimitation of C. strictum and C. novopokrovskyanum.

Stems erect, branched, 4.5-10 dm, glabrous to sparsely farinose. Leaves nonaromatic, sessile; proximal blades oblong-ovate to ovate lanceolate, 1.7-3.6 × 1-2.8 cm, base cuneate, margins finely serrate; distal blades tending toward lanceolate and margins entire, apex obtuse, farinose. Inflorescences glomerules in terminal moniliform spikes, 1-3 cm; glomerules globose, 1.8-2 mm diam.; bracts absent. Flowers: perianth segments 5, distinct nearly to base; lobes ovate, 0.5-0.7 × 0.6-0.7 mm, apex rounded, farinose, slightly keeled, reflexed and exposing fruit at maturity; stamens 5; stigmas 2, 0.2 mm. Achenes depressed-ovoid; pericarp adherent, smooth. Seeds lenticular, oval, 0.9-1.5 mm diam.; seed coat black, smooth, margins rounded. 2n = 36.

Herbs annual, 20-50 cm tall. Stem erect, basal branches ascending, upper branches usually erect; stem and branches green and red striate, often becoming deep beet red at maturity, ribbed. Leaf blade abaxially whitish gray to dark green, ovate-oblong to oblong, usually 1.5-3(-6) × 0.8-2.5 cm, 2-3 × as long as petiole, abaxially moderately to densely farinose, adaxially slightly or moderately farinose, base broadly cuneate, margin above base subentire to serrate or dentate, apex rounded, sometimes shortly mucronate; teeth gradually becoming smaller distally on margin. Glomerules arranged into narrow, interrupted, spikelike or moniliform panicles on upper part of branches. Flowers bisexual. Perianth segments 5, obovate, abaxially slightly keeled, margin membranous. Stigmas 2, filiform, recurved. Utricle depressed; pericarp adnate to seed. Seed black or black-red, sublustrous, depressed ovoid, ca. 1 mm in diam., slightly lineate, rim margin acutely ribbed. Fl. and fr. Jul-Sep.

Annual to 2 m tall, stems erect, green-striped, sometimes red especially in axils, branched mostly basally, lowermost branches long, ascending from an almost horizontal base. Leaf blade dark olive green to glaucous green above, glaucous green below, sometimes red-rimmed, ca. 2 x length of petiole, (1.5-)2-5 x (0.6-)1-2.5 cm, ovate to elliptic, somewhat attenuate towards apex, margins often almost parallel in middle part; margins ± regularly toothed, teeth small, sometimes with a pair of somewhat larger teeth at broadest part of blade, or sometimes margins entire; apex rounded. Blade of upper leaves (rarely all leaves) narrowly trullate to narrowly elliptic, margin entire. Flowers concentrated in small glomerules mostly arranged in terminal and usually spiciform branched inflorescence. Perianth lobes olive green, united at base, keel not prominent. Fruits mostly falling with perianth. Pericarp easily detached. Seeds horizontal, black, lustrous, 0.9-1.1(-1.2) mm in diameter, ovate; testa almost smooth to sometimes with faint radial striae.

introduced; B.C., Man., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask.; Ariz., Ark., Calif., Colo., Conn., Fla., Iowa, Kans., Maine, Mass., Mich., Minn., Mo., Nebr., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.Dak., Pa., R.I., S.Dak., Vt., Wash.; native se Europe; s, c Asia.

Distribution: SE Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, C Asia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India.

Fl. & Fr. Per.: June-October.

Fruiting fall.

Disturbed, weedy areas; 0-600m.

Fields, gardens, ruderal places, roadsides, rocky places. 500-2900 m.

Valleys, river banks, roadsides. Gansu, Hebei, Shaanxi, Shanxi, S Xinjiang; also NE China [Japan, Korea, Russia (S Siberia); C and SW Asia, Europe; naturalized in North America and occasionally elsewhere].

Chenopodium album L. subsp. striatum (Krašan) Murr in Urban & Graebner, Festschr. Ascherson: 222. 1904.

Chenopodium album Linnaeus var. microphyllum Boenninghausen; C. album subsp. striatum (Krašan) Murr; C. album var. striatum Krašan; C. betaceum Andrzejowski; C. striatiforme Murr; C. striatum (Krašan) Murr; C. strictum subsp. striatiforme (Murr) Uotila

Chenopodium betaceum Andrzejowski; C. striatum (Krašan) Murr.

Chenopodium strictum, the lateflowering goosefoot, is a species of annual herb in the family Amaranthaceae (pigweed). They have a self-supporting growth form and simple, broad leaves. Individuals can grow to 55 cm tall.