Chenopodium capitatum
Fl. Tirolo Mer. 2: 180. 1857.
Stems erect to ascending or decumbent, branched from base, 1.5–10 dm, glabrous. Leaves non-aromatic; petiole 1.5–10 cm; blade lanceolate, ovate, triangular, or triangular-hastate, 2.5–10 × 1–9 cm, base cuneate, truncate, or hastate, margins sharply dentate or entire, apex acute to acuminate. Inflorescences glomerules sessile on unbranched terminal spikes; spikes 5–20 cm; glomerules globose, 3–10 mm diam.; bracts leaflike, present only at base of inflorescence; flowers maturing from apex to base. Flowers: perianth segments 3, connate only at base, lobes lanceolate to ovate, 0.6–0.9 × 0.4–0.5 mm, apex acute, not keeled, glabrous, covering fruit at maturity, often becoming fleshy and red in fruit; stamens 3; stigmas 2, 0.1–0.4 mm. Achenes ovoid, fleshy or not; pericarp adherent, bright red to dark reddish brown or greenish red, smooth. Seeds 0.7–1.2 mm in diam., margins rounded; seed coat black, reticulate-punctate. 2n = 18.
Distribution
Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., N.S., N.W.T., Ont., Que., Sask., Yukon, Alaska, Ariz., Calif., Colo., Conn., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Maine, Mass., Mich., Minn., Mo., Mont., N.H., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., Nev., Ohio, Oreg., Pa., S.Dak., Utah, Vt., Wash., Wis., Wyo., introduced in Eurasia.
Discussion
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
Selected References
None.
Key
| 1 | Glomerules fleshy, red, 6-10 mm diam. in fruit; leaf blades truncate to cordate at base, margins usually strongly toothed | Chenopodium capitatum var. capitatum |
| 1 | Glomerules membranaceous, often red, 3-5 mm diam. in fruit; leaf blades cuneate to truncate at base, margins somewhat toothed or entire | Chenopodium capitatum var. parvicapitatu |