Chenopodium opulifolium Sehrad. ex W.D.J.

Jonsell, B., Karlsson, 2005, Chenopodiaceae - Fumariaceae (Chenopodium), Flora Nordica 2, pp. 4-31 : 27

21. Chenopodium opulifolium Sehrad. ex W.D.J.

Koch & Ziz Fig. 12D

Koch & Ziz, Cat. pi.: 6 (1814). -

Type: Germany, Pfalz ("e Palati nata") ex herb. Wikström (S) lectotype, sel. by Beaugé, Chenopodium album et espèces affines: 83 (1974).

D Kortbladet Gåsefod. F heisisavikka. N småmelde.

S olvonmålla.

Therophyte (summer-annual). 20-80(-200) cm, young parts often greyish-green due to a dense cover of vesicular hairs. Stem terete to subangular, striped with green or uniformly greenish, hardly ever red-tinged, without red spots in the axils, hard, usually erect, often branched especially near the base; branches fairly long. Leaves with petiole often almost as long as the blade, green, especially small leaves often densely farinose. Lower and middle leaf-blades broadly ovate to rhombic or trullate, usually slightly 3-lobed with short, prominent side-lobes, (1 -)2.5-4(-5) cm, as wide as long or slightly wider than long; base broadly cuneate to almost truncate; margin with several acute teeth or entire; apex acute to obtuse. Upper leaf-blades clearly longer than wide, with a pair of acute basal teeth or lobes. Bracts lanceolate, entire, acuminate to mucronate.

Inflorescences often conspicuously grey-farinose, terminal and axillary, panicle-like or somewhat spike-like; glomerules numerous, relatively small. Flowers bisexual or female. Tepals 5, connate halfway, densely farinose, keeled to winged, with narrow membranous margin and ± obtuse apex. Stamens 5. Stigmas 2, 0.5-1.1 mm. Nut falling with the perianth; pericarp easily detached. Seed suborbicular in outline, 1.1-1.4 mm; edge rounded; seed-coat black, glossy, with obscure radial striae. - Late summer to autumn.

[2n=54]

Distribution. A casual alien; earlier mainly brought in with ballast, more recently usually with grain (mainly from Russia but also from the Mediterranean) and occasionally with cork. - D c. 50 records from c. 30 localities 1886-1973, most frequent after 1926; NJy �lborg 1933, 1955, ØJy 4 localities, latest Assentoft 1973, FyL Middelfart 1960, Odense 1910, Svendborg 1911, 1956, Sjæ c. 20 localities, mainly in the København area, latest Hagesholm 1969, LFM Nykøbing 1936, 1942, Stege. N most records fairly old (ballast places and grain mills) in coastal towns from 0/to Ho Bergen; ST Skaun 1930; recently in VA Kristiansand 1969 (granaries) and SF Jølster 1988 (field, probably manured by poultry farm or mill refuse). S Sk c. 10 localities 1891-1932, Landskrona 1963, Bl Karlskrona 1894-96,1933,1943, Karlshamn 1897, Lösen 1818, Gtl

Visby 1888, Kim Kalmar 1952, BhG numerous records from the Göteborg area 1923-62, Kungälv 1926-27, Vg Borås 1914, Västra Tunhem (on ore from Turkey) 1958, Srm Nacka several records 1894-1931, Vsm Västerås 1926, Upi Kårsta 1998, Sollentuna 1925, Stockholm several records 1913-24, Uppsala 1903, Älvkarleby 1874, Gii Gävle 1929, 1930, Vb Umeå 1904 (ballast), LL Kvikkjokk. 1864. A report from S Hl Halmstad 1911 (Georgson et al. 1997) is based on misdetermined C. suecicum; for 2 other reports from the province (Ahlfvengren 1924) there are no vouchers. F V Turku 1953-63, Naantali 1975, 1994, Raisio 1961-62, U Helsinki 1901- 64 (also with Moroccan cork), Elimäki 1985, EH Nokia 1972,1992, Tampere 1969-75, EP Vaasa 1953, PH Kuopio 1947 and OP Oulu I960.

The Mediterranean region and C Europe to SW Asia, south to tropical Africa.

Biology. Usually flowering in late autumn. The seeds rarely ripen in Norden.

Hybridization. Hybrids of Chenopodium opulifolium are known with C. album var. album .

Similar taxa. Small-leaved plants of Chenopodium opulifolium are sometimes mistaken for C. berlandieri (19), C. suecicum (14) or C. album (15), all of which may have ± 3-lobed leaves. In C. opulifolium the leaf-blade is relatively wider than in any of the others.