Chenopodium album

Flowering class: Dicot Habit: Herb

This annual plant is either introduced or native and somewhat variable in appearance. Depending on the fertility of the soil, it is 1-6' tall, branching occasionally. Large mature specimens have a bushy appearance, tapering gradually toward the apex. The stems are stout, angular, and variably colored, ranging from light blue-green to striped with purple and green. Young stems are covered with a fine mealy pubescence, while older stems become more glabrous. The alternate leaves are up to 5" long and 3" across (excluding the petioles). The older lower leaves are broadly lanceolate or ovate with irregular margins. These margins are undulate, slightly lobed, and/or dentate, and they are sometimes reddish purple along the edge. The dentate teeth are large, widely spaced, and blunt. The upper surface of the lower leaves is usually green or bluish green and glabrous, while the lower surface may be glabrous to more or less white mealy with tiny white hairs. The petioles are slender and long, often at least half the length of the leaves. The upper leaves have a similar appearance to the lower leaves, except that they are smaller, more narrow, and more white mealy from the presence of tiny white hairs, which are present on both the lower and upper surfaces. The major upper stems and some of the side stems terminate in panicles of flowering spikes. On large plants, the individual spikes of this inflorescence may be up to 8" long, but they are usually less than half this size. The inconspicuous yellowish green flowers are sessile against the flowering stalks and densely distributed. Each flower is about 1/10" across, consisting of a green calyx with 5 acute lobes, no petals, 5 stamens with yellow anthers, and a short style that is cleft into 2 or 3 parts toward its apex. The calyx is conspicuously white mealy across the outer surface, and its lobes are slightly keeled.  The blooming period can occur from mid-summer through the fall, and lasts about 1-2 months for a colony of plants. The flowers are wind-pollinated. The ovary of each flower matures into a single horizontal seed that is black, flattened, and nearly round. The lobes of the calyx curl inward and wrap around this seed, more or less obscuring it from view, except for a tiny opening at the top. This seed has a gray membranous covering that is difficult to remove. A single plant can produce 50,000 or more seeds. The root system consists of a taproot that is short and stout. This plant spreads by reseeding itself, sometimes forming sizable colonies.

Erect often much branched annual herb, up to 150 cm high. Stems often tinged red or pink, grey mealy hairy especially on younger parts. Leaves very variable, even on the same plant, generally rhombic-ovate to lanceolate, 1-8.5 cm long, somewhat grey-green, paler below; margin sometimes entire but mostly with up to 10 shallow teeth, the lowermost sometimes larger and lobe-like. Inflorescences large, dense heads of small rounded clusters or 'glomerules', containing minute grey-green flowers, covered in grey mealy hairs.

album: white

"

Global Distribution

Pantropical

Indian distribution

State - Kerala, District/s: Palakkad, Kottayam, Wayanad, Kozhikkode

"

Canada

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Nile region, oases, Mediterranean region, Egyptian desert and Sinai.

Cosmopolitan.

Chenopodium iljinii Golosk.:
Kazakhstan (Asia)
China (Asia)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Chenopodium lanceolatum Muhl. ex Willd.:
Canada (North America)
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Chenopodium album var. polymorphum Aellen:
Chile (South America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Chenopodium album L.:
Argentina (South America)
Bolivia (South America)
Brazil (South America)
Canada (North America)
Costa Rica (Mesoamerica)
Ecuador (South America)
Kenya (Africa & Madagascar)
Madagascar (Africa & Madagascar)
New Zealand (Oceania)
Panama (Mesoamerica)
Peru (South America)
Tanzania (Africa & Madagascar)
United States (North America)
South Africa (Africa & Madagascar)
China (Asia)
Java (Asia)
Equatorial Guinea (Africa & Madagascar)
Australia (Oceania)
Saudi Arabia (Asia)
Mexico (Mesoamerica)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

W Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai (Qilian Shan), NW Sichuan, Xinjiang [Kazakhstan].

introduced; Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr., N.W.T., N.S., Nunavut, Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Yukon; Ala., Alaska, Ariz., Ark., Calif., Colo., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.H., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Okla., Oreg., Pa., R.I., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Utah, Vt., Va., Wash., W.Va., Wis., Wyo; probably mostly native in Europe.

Cosmopolitan, probably native to the Northern hemisphere.

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Distribution: Almost cosmopolitan, common in subtropical to temperate zones, more infrequent in the tropics and cooler regions.

Herbs annual, 10-30 cm tall, farinose throughout. Stem usually prostrate or obliquely spreading, much branched, sometimes branched only from base. Petiole slender, 0.4-1 cm; leaf blade gray-green, ovate to ovate-triangular, usually 0.5-1.5 × 0.4-1.2 cm, farinose on both surfaces, base broadly cuneate, margin entire or 3-lobed, apex subobtuse or acute; lateral lobes attached near base of leaf blade, apex obtuse. Glomerules forming short spikes on axillary branchlets. Perianth segments (4 or)5, obovate-linear to oblong, not keeled, abaxially densely farinose. Filaments slightly shorter than perianth; anthers broadly oblong. Style obscure; stigmas 2, filiform. Utricle depressed. Seed horizontal, rarely oblique, black, sublustrous, lenticular, sometimes depressed ovoid, 0.8-1.2 mm in diam., subsmooth or slightly pitted. Fl. and fr. Aug-Oct.

Annual, 10-150 cm, usually erect, variously branched, ± grey farinose. Stems yellowish to green, green-striated, sometimes reddish or with red spots at leaf axils. Lower and medium leaves petiolate, blade usually 2-6(-10) cm, variously trullate, rhombic-ovate to lanceolate, clearly longer than broad, base narrowly to broadly cuneate, margins irregularly serrate to entire, often somewhat 3-lobed, teeth mostly acute, often unequal in size; uppermost leaves lanceolate, usually entire. Inflorescence a variable spiciform or cymosely branched panicle, mostly terminal. Perianth segments 5, dorsally keeled. Perianth falling with fruit. Pericarp thin, ± adherent. Seeds horizontal, black, 1.1-1.5 mm in diameter, somewhat ovate, margin weakly acute; testa with faint radial striae, otherwise almost smooth.

Herbs annual, 15-150 cm tall. Stem erect, much branched, green or purple-red striate, stout, ribbed; branches oblique or spreading. Leaf blade rhombic-ovate to broadly lanceolate, 3-6 × 2.5-5 cm, 1-2 × as long as petiole, abaxially ± farinose, adaxially usually glabrous, or sometimes reddish purple vesicular hairy on young leaves, base cuneate to broadly so, margin irregularly serrate, apex subobtuse or acute. Glomerules arranged into large or small panicles or spikelike panicles on upper part of branches. Flowers bisexual. Perianth segments 5, broadly ovate to elliptic, abaxially longitudinally keeled, farinose, margin membranous, apex acute or slightly emarginate. Stamens 5; anthers exserted. Stigmas 2. Pericarp adnate to seed. Seed horizontal, black, sublustrous, lenticular, 1-1.5 mm in diam., lineate, rim margin obtuse. Fl. and fr. May-Oct.

Stems erect to sprawling, simple to much-branched, 1-30 dm, sparsely to densely farinose. Leaves nonaromatic; petiole 1-2.5 cm, shorter than blades or occasionally longer; blade ovate-lanceolate to rhombic-lanceolate or broadly oblong, 1-5.5(-12) × 0.5-3.8(-8) cm, base narrowly to broadly cuneate, margins sinuous-dentate to shallowly serrate or entire, apex acute to subobtuse, farinose abaxially. Inflorescences glomerules or occasionally 1-flowered peduncles in terminal and lateral compound spikes, 2-19 cm; glomerules subglobose, 3-4 mm diam.; bracts absent. Flowers: perianth segments 5, distinct nearly to base; lobes ovate, ca. 1 × 1.1 mm, apex obtuse, keeled, farinose, largely covering fruit at maturity; stamens 5; stigmas 2, 0.2-0.3 mm. Utricles depressed-ovoid; pericarp nonadherent, occasionally adherent, smooth to papillate. Seeds lenticular, margins round, 0.9-1.6 mm diam.; seed coat black, smooth, indistinctly granulate and/or radially grooved, or with faint reticulate-rugose ridges. 2n = 54.

"Annual, 10-150 cm, usually erect, variously branched, ± grey farinose. Stems yellowish to green, green-striated, sometimes reddish or with red spots at leaf axils. Lower and medium leaves petiolate, blade usually 2-6(-10) cm, variously trullate, rhombic-ovate to lanceolate, clearly longer than broad, base narrowly to broadly cuneate, margins irregularly serrate to entire, often somewhat 3-lobed, teeth mostly acute, often unequal in size; uppermost leaves lanceolate, usually entire. Inflorescence a variable spiciform or cymosely branched panicle, mostly terminal. Perianth segments 5, dorsally keeled. Perianth falling with fruit. Pericarp thin, ± adherent. Seeds horizontal, black, 1.1-1.5 mm in diameter, somewhat ovate, margin weakly acute; testa with faint radial striae, otherwise almost smooth."

Chenopodium bryoniifolium Bunge var. kapelleriae Aellen ex Iljin.

"Scrub jungles and degraded forests, also in the wastelands"

Weeds of cultivation and waste ground.

Disturbed soils in open habitats; 0-1400m.

Valley terraces, slopes, drier grasslands; 2000-4000 m.

Fields, gardens, ruderal places, roadsides, irrigated places, slopes, Cedrus forest. 360-4330 m.

Fields, waste places, roadsides, a difficult weed to control. Throughout China [probably throughout temperate and tropical regions of the world].

Because the flowers are wind-pollinated, they are visited by few insects. The leaves are eaten by the caterpillars of the skippers Staphylus hayhurstii (Hayhurst's Scallopwing) and Pholisora catullus (Common Sootywing), as well as the caterpillars of various moths, including Grammia virgo (Virgin Tiger Moth), Emmelina monodactyla (Plume Moth), and Amyna octo (The Eight-Spot). The seeds are an important source of food to various birds during the fall and winter months, especially sparrows (see Bird Table). The foliage is eaten by livestock and the White-Tailed Deer. Both the foliage and seeds are palatable to humans.

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / feeds on
Orthotylus flavosparsus feeds on Chenopodium album agg.
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / sap sucker
adult of Peritrechus lundi sucks sap of seed of Chenopodium album agg.

Plant / resting place / within
puparium of Amauromyza chenopodivora may be found in stem of Chenopodium album
Other: sole host/prey

Foodplant / open feeder
larva of Ametastegia equiseti grazes on leaf of Chenopodium album
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / sap sucker
densely clustered Aphis fabae sucks sap of often stunted, curled shoot of Chenopodium album
Remarks: season: summer

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / spot causer
mostly epiphyllous, crowded, amber coloured then black pycnidium of Ascochyta coelomycetous anamorph of Ascochyta chenopodii causes spots on live leaf of Chenopodium album
Remarks: season: 6-8

Foodplant / spot causer
amphigenous colony of Cercospora dematiaceous anamorph of Cercospora chenopodii causes spots on live leaf of Chenopodium album

Foodplant / saprobe
superficial, gregarious pycnidium of Chaetodiplodia coelomycetous anamorph of Chaetodiplodia caulina is saprobic on dead stem of Chenopodium album

Foodplant / saprobe
perithecium of Chaetoplea calvescens is saprobic on dead, blackened stem of Chenopodium album
Remarks: season: 1-3

Foodplant / parasite
sporangium of Peronospora farinosa parasitises live Chenopodium album
Other: major host/prey

Chenopodium album (lambs-quarter (forb/shrub)) is prey of:
Pogonomyrmex

Based on studies in:
USA: California, Cabrillo Point (Grassland)

This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.

Fruiting late summer-fall.

Fl. Per.: January - September.

Annual.

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 5
Specimens with Barcodes: 5
Species With Barcodes: 1

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 12
Specimens with Barcodes: 102
Species With Barcodes: 1

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N4 - Apparently Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N4 - Apparently Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: T4 - Apparently Secure

Full sunlight, mesic moisture levels, and a fertile loamy soil are the preferred conditions for growth and development. Partial sun and less fertile kinds of soil are also tolerated. This plant can become aggressive because it can produce abundant seedlings that cover the ground. The seeds can be remain viable in the soil for 40 years. The best method of control involves destroying the plants before they can form seeds. Range & Habitat