CHENOPODIUM OPULIFOLIUM

Family and Genus:- See- AMARANTHACEAE

Common Name:- Grey goosefoot.

Homotypic Synonyms:- Chenopodium album var. opulifolium, Chenopodium

album subsp. opulifolium, Vulvaria opulifolia.

Meaning:- Chenopodium (Gr) Goose-foot.

Opulifolium (L) Opulus-leaved, with leaves resembling the guelder

rose.

General description:- Herbaceous plant, Annual.

Stems:-

1) 60-150 cm, erect, much-branched, green to almost white, rarely red-tinged, more

or less grey-farinose.

Leaves:-

1) At least the middle and lower rhombic-ovate, almost as wide as long, usually

with a short, prominent lobe on each side, otherwise entire or partially dentate.

Flowers:-

1) Inflorescence, with a very grey-farinose panicle.

2) Sepals, keeled.

Fruit:-

1) Seeds, 1·1-1·5 mm diam, obtusely keeled.

a) testa, not pitted.

Key features:-

1) Most leaves more than 1.5 times as long as broad, 3-lobed.

2) Inflorescence, variously farinose, with small, narrow leaves in the lower part.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Cultivated places, waste ground, waysides. 0-600 m.

Distribution:- Widespread across the Mediterranean region and C Europe. Limited

distribution on Crete, mainly around the C & E coastal areas.

Flowering time:- May-Oct.

Photos by:- Thomas Giannakis