Chenopodium carinatum, R. Br.

Brenan, J. P. M, 1954, Chenopodiaceae (part: Chenopodium), Flora of Tropical East Africa 12, pp. 2-14 : 13

8. C. carinatum R.Br.

, Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holl. 1: 407 (1810); Aellen in Verh. Naturf. Gesellsch. Basel 44 (1): 312 (1933); Ulbr. in E. & P. Pf., ed. 2,16c: 494 (1934).

Type: Australia, New South Wales, Hawkesbury R.,R. Brown 3034 (BM, holo.!)

Annual herb similar to C. pumilio , prostrate to erect, normally branched near base into simple to much branched stems up to 60 cm. long,green rarely red-tinged, pubescent and glandular, aromatic. Leaves ovate to elliptic rarely narrow-elliptic in outline, small, mostly 0.3-3 cm. long and 0.25-2 cm. wide, sometimes as wide as long, with 2-4 (-6) usually coarse sometimes obscure entire or denticulate teeth, or lobes on each margin, rarely entire or almost so, glands between veins on lower side of leaves sessile to subsessile not accompanied by hairs unless on veins. Flowers greenish, minute, about 0.4-0-75 mm. in diameter, sessile or subsessile in small rounded axillary clusters at most of the nodes. Sepals normally 5,pubescent and glandiiar, each with a conspicuous wing-like keel broadening upwards. Stamen 1. Seed (Fig. 2/8,p. 3) as in G. pumilio .

Kenya. Trans-Nzoia District: 32 km. SE. of Kitale, 21 June 1948,Bogdan 1738a!; Nairobi: Karura Forest, 14 Sept. 1951, Bogdan 3263!; Nairobi-Kiambu road, 3 Dec. 1950,Verdcourt 391!

Distr. K3, 4; native of Australia, doubtfully so in New Zealand and New Caledonia; introduced, often through wool, into other parts of the world including Britain.

Hab. A weed by roadsides and among cultivated maize; also recorded from bare patches of rock in Aristida-Harpachne grassland; altitude-range uncertain, recorded from 1620-1680 m.

Aellen in Verh. Naturf. Gesellsch. Basel 44 (1): 312-3 (1933) splits C. carinatum into two varieties - var. carinatum (which he called var. holopterum (Thell.) Aell. ) and var. melanocarpum (Black) Aellen , differing in their perianth-segments. The var. melanocarpum is treated as a distinct species, C. melanocarpum, (Black) Black , by J. M. Black in Fl. S. Austral., ed. 2,2: 289 (1948). Verdcourt 550! (Nairobi) and Bogdan 3263! are certainly var. carinatum ; but other specimens do not show fully mature fruits and may or may not be the same variety.