Chenopodium foliosum

C. foliosum is usually easy to recognize because of its red, berry-like glomerules. However, depauperate plants and late-season branches of C. foliosum may have dry, non-succulent glomerules. C. foliosum has larger seeds than its relatives in our area (C. litwinowii and C. korshinskyi). However, in C. foliosum seed size may decrease from main stem fruits to those produced later in the season on side branches. The record of C. capitatum (L.) Ambrosi by Pampanini (Fl. Caracorùm: 100. 1930) from the Hunza valley is probably an error or based on cultivated plants: in Europe C. foliosum has often been confused with C. capitatum, a North American species, previously cultivated and naturalized in Europe. C. capitatum has ebracteate inflorescences and succulent, violet glomerules.

Chenopodium foliosum is probably native to the mountains of south and central Europe and western Asia. Several closely related segregate species are currently recognized within the C. foliosum group (P. Uotila 1979, 1993, 1997).

Chenopodium foliosum listed and illustrated in J. C. Hickman (1993) is in fact C. capitatum var. parvicapitatum.

The variable Chenopodium foliosum aggregate is represented in the mountains of C and SW Asia by several weakly differentiated and closely related races, which are often treated as separate species or at least as subspecies. Probably these entities are high-mountain subspecies or varieties of C. foliosum s.l. They include: (1) C. foliosum subsp. montanum Uotila (Ann. Bot. Fenn. 30: 190. 1993), reported from SW Asia eastward to Iraq and Iran; (2) C. korshinskyi (Litvinov) Minkwitz (in B. Fedtschenko, Rastit. Turkestana, 332. 1915; Blitum korshinskyi Litvinov, Trudy Bot. Muz. Imp. Akad. Nauk 7: 76. 1910), described from Tajikistan and reported from the Pamir-Alai and Karakoram mountains; and (3) C. litwinowii (Paulsen) Uotila (Ann. Bot. Fenn. 30: 190. 1993; Monolepis litwinowii Paulsen, Vidensk. Meddel. Dansk Naturhist. Foren. Kjøbenhavn 6(5): 187. 1903), described from the Pamir mountains and reported from the Hindu Kush and Karakoram mountains. Chenopodium foliosum s.str. has stem normally erect, branches spreading, and both rather stout; leaf blade of lower leaves longer than broad, margin dentate-serrate to uppermost bracts; fruiting glomerules at least 4 mm, usually red and succulent; seed 1–1.4 mm in diam.; C. korshinskyi has stem and branches ascending, slender; leaf blade of lower leaves as long as broad, margin entire but for basal lobes; fruiting glomerules 2–4 mm, dry; C. litwinowii has stem and branches prostrate or nearly so; leaf blade of lower leaves longer than broad, margin dentate-serrate (but on upper bracts entire but for a pair of basal lobes); seed 0.8–1.2 mm in diam. Several taxa of the C. foliosum aggregate could be expected to occur in China. However, the taxonomic status and distributional patterns of these entities remain rather problematic and, because of that, this group in China needs additional collecting and special taxonomic studies.

Stems erect to ascending, branched, 1.4-6(-8) dm, glabrous. Leaves nonaromatic; petiole 0.5-6.5 cm; blade narrowly triangular, oblong-triangular, to almost deltate, 1.7-7.5(-9) × 0.8-3.5 cm, base subtruncate to broadly cuneate, often subhastate, margins coarsely laciniate-dentate or sinuate-dentate, apex acute to acuminate. Inflorescences glomerules in axils of leaflike bracts; glomerules globose, 3-8 mm diam.; bracts leaflike throughout inflorescence; flowers maturing from base to apex. Flowers: perianth segments 3(-4), connate only at base or connate into irregular lobes; lobes obovate, 0.5-0.7 × 0.3-0.7 mm, apex rounded, not keeled, glabrous, becoming red, enlarged, and fleshy in fruit; stamens usually 1; stigmas 2, 0.5 mm. Achenes ovoid; pericarp adherent, dark reddish brown, fleshy, smooth. Seeds round, 1-1.2 mm diam., margins rounded with an incised groove; seed coat dark red-brown, minutely reticulate-punctate.

Almost glabrous annual or sometimes short-lived perennial, to 50(-80) cm; stems yellowish to red, erect to ascending, branches ± spreading, mainly at middle of stem. Leaves somewhat fleshy, pure green, sometimes red; basal leaves long-petiolate, blade 3-9(-12) cm, triangular, coarsely dentate - serrate; blade of middle cauline leaves hastate, middle-lobe with a few teeth or entire; bracts lanceolate with forward-projecting to spreading basal lobes and several teeth, sometimes entire; lobes and teeth spreading to forward-projecting, almost never reflexed. Inflorescence of spicately arranged axillary, (sub)sessile, compact, globose glomerules, up to 10 mm in diameter. Flowers bisexual or female. Perianth segments 3-5, connate below the middle, in fruit usually becoming red and succulent, on branches and in exceptional conditions often remaining greenish and dry. Stamens 1-5. Stigmas 2, short. Seeds mostly vertical, dark red - brown, 1.0-1.4 mm in diameter, mostly roundish in outline, margin obtuse - truncate, in part prominently grooved; testa dull, with obscurely reticulate striations.

Herbs annual, 20-70 cm tall. Stem mostly branched from base; branches erect or oblique, light green, slender, glabrous. Leaf blade of lower leaves light green on both surfaces, narrowly triangular-ovate, 2-5 × 2-3 cm, equaling or longer than petiole, not or only slightly farinose, base cuneate, truncate, or hastate, margin irregularly dentate, apex acuminate; teeth near base slightly recurved; leaves gradually reduced on upper stem and branches, lanceolate or ovate-hastate, margin with 1-4 pairs of teeth bilaterally or entire. Flowers bisexual and female, borne on short, axillary branches, forming globose or cylindric-globose, linear arranged glomerules. Perianth light green, usually 3-parted, becoming red and succulent in fruit. Stamens 1-3. Style very short; stigmas 2, slightly divaricate. Utricle compressed globose; pericarp membranous, adnate to seed. Seed vertical, red-brown to black, sublustrous, ca. 1 mm in diam., rim margin obtuse or slightly concave; embryo semi-annular. Fl. Jun-Jul, fr. Aug-Sep.

Distribution: From the Himalayas (Bhutan in the east) and the Altai Mts. to Afghanistan, Iran, Caucasus, N Iraq, Palestine, Cyprus, Turkey, mountainous southern Europe; naturalized in C and E Europe, and locally in N America and N and S Africa.

Europe, N. Africa, W. & C. Asia, Himalaya.

introduced; Alta.; Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mass., N.Mex., N.Y., N.Dak., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wis.; Eurasia; n Africa.

2600-3800 m

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

Fruiting summer-fall.

Gravel bars, waste ground, cultivated grounds; 200-1800m.

Rocky mountain slopes, dry grasslands, slopes and banks, open forests, near stream sides, fields. 1500-3500 m.

Forest margins, valleys, slopes. W Gansu, E and N Xinjiang [N Africa, C and SW Asia, Europe; occasionally naturalized in other regions].

Morocarpus foliosus Moench, Methodus, 342. 1794, nom. illeg. superfl., based on Blitum virgatum Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 4. 1753; Chenopodium blitum J. D. Hooker; C. virgatum (Linnaeus) Ambrosi (1857), not Thunberg (1815).

Blitum virgatum L., Sp. Pl.: 4. 1753. Chenopodium virgatum (L.) Ambrosi, Fl. Tirolo mer. 2: 179. 1857, non Thunb. 1815; Boiss., Fl. Or. 4: 905. 1879; Chenopodium blitum F.Muell., Select Pl., Additions: 11. 1874; Hook. f., Fl. Br. Ind. 5: 5. 1886.

Morocarpus foliosus Moench, Methodus, 342. 1794