Chenopodium botrys L.

Jonsell, B., Karlsson, 2005, Chenopodiaceae - Fumariaceae (Chenopodium), Flora Nordica 2, pp. 4-31 : 28

23. Chenopodium botrys L. Fig. 3J, K

Linnaeus, Sp. pi.: 219 (1753).

- Type: Linnaean Herbarium 313.12 (LINN) lectotype, sei. by Jafri & Rateeb, FI. Libya58: 13 (1978).

D Egebladet Gåsefod. F tammisavikka. N eikemelde.

S ekmål la.

Therophyte (summer-annual). Aromatic, up to 60 cm, densely covered with short-stalked glands and also with some long eglandular hairs; glands with pyriform head. Stem subangular, yellowish, erect, usually with several ascending branches, some often longer than the main stem. Leaves with petiole up to 2(-4) cm; blade elliptic, up to 6 cm. fairly shallowly pinnatifid, with 2-4 wide lobes and several teeth on each side, sometimes dull green; base cuneate to very broadly cuneate; apex ± obtuse, upper ones sometimes apiculate. Bracts lanceolate, small.

Inflorescences terminal and axillary, elongated, bracteate almost to the top, on the main stem up to 3 cm wide, composed of dichasial cymes. Flowers bisexual; terminal flowers solitary, larger and earlier flowering than the lateral ones. Tepals 5, free, often not contiguous at base, elliptic to ovate, c. 1 x 0.5 mm, sometimes purple, often whitish in fruit, weakly keeled, on the back with short-stalked glands and rarely a few sessile ones; margin membranous, glabrous; apex acuminate. Stamens 1-5. Stigmas 2(-3), 0.6-1 mm. Nut mostly falling without the perianth; pericarp not adherent to the seed. Seed horizontal, orbicular in outline, 0.7-0.8 mm; edge rounded (sometimes partly truncate); seed-coat black, almost smooth. - Autumn.

[2n=18]

Chenopodium ambrosioides

Chenopodium botrys

Distribution. Casual (ports, factory areas, tips, mills, filling soil, gardens, in the 19th century also on ballast). - D ØJy �rhus 1895, FyL Vindinge 1998, Sjæ København several records 1932-39 and 1987. N Ak Oslo 1876; one record from the 19th century from either AAorVA.SSk Hyby 1894, Malmö 1885,1932,1933, BhG Göteborg 1937, 1947, 1949, 1954, Kungälv 1927, Mölndal 1947, Vrm Karlstad 1896, Srm Nacka 1896, Västra Vingåker 1957, Upl Stockholm 1872, 1882, Kårsta 1999 (tip), Vsm Västerås 1926 (port), Dir Stora Tuna 1930, 1931 (with Russian manganese ore), Gst Gävle 1929 (port), Nb Nederkalix 1997 (tip). An early report from Bl (Gosselman 1865) was based on a specimen of C. schraderianum . F U Helsinki 1979 (flower pot), St Hämeenkyrö 1996 (tip), EH Heinola 1926 (probably with garden seed), Tampere 1982 (mill), 1999.

The Mediterranean to SW and C Asia and NW India; naturalized in C Europe and North America.

Biology. Flowering, but probably not setting seed in Norden.

Similar taxa. Chenopodium botrys is similar to C. schraderianum (24); for differences see the key (couplet 3). See also C. carinatum , C. cristatum , C. melanocarpum , C. pumilio and C. pseudomultiflorum (rare casuals).