CHENOPODIUM GIGANTEUM

Family:- AMARANTHACEAE

Common Name:- Giant goosefoot, Tree spinach.

Synonyms:- None.

Meaning:- Chenopodium (Gr) Goose-foot.

Giganteum (Gr) Unusually large or tall, gigantic.

General description:- Tall, erect annual herb.

Stems:-

a) generally with bands alternatively white and green, striated with red.

b) hairless, erect, grooved, angular, simple or branched.

c) young parts of the plant often with dense powdery covering (densely farinose)

from red vesicular hairs.

Leaves:-

a) alternate, simple, lance to diamond-shaped.

b) stalked.

1) Blade, flat but with the margin winding strongly inward and outward (sinuate).

a) hairless, toothed, seldom entire, often floury on the lower surface.

b) mature blade to 14 cm, longer than the petiole.

c) broadly triangular to deltoid with a rounded apex and basal lobes, dentate;

teeth relatively small, subequal.

Flowers:-

1) Inflorescence:

a) terminal.

b) densely arranged, with small glomerules.

c) greenish white.

d) from 1 to 2mm diam, joined together in branched spikes from 5 to 10cm

length.

2) Perianth with 5 free or scarcely partly fused tepals.

3) Stamens 5, opposite the tepals.

4) Ovary superior.

Fruit:-

1) Seed:

a) c. 1 mm.

b) roundish-Ienticular, obtuse at edges.

c) testa almost smooth.

Habitat:- Weed of gardens, harbours, roadsides and other anthopogenic, more or

less ruderal habitats. 0-400 m.

Distribution:- Scattered in coastal areas of W. Greece. Probably native to India,

widely naturalised in the Mediterranean region. Limited distribution on Crete mainly

around coastal areas.

Flowering time:- Aug-Oct.

Photos by:- A. N. Other