Chenopodium californicum

(S. Watson) S. Watson in W. H. Brewer et al.

in W. H. Brewer et al., Bo t. California 2: 48. 1880.

Common names: California goosefoot soap plant
Illustrated
Basionym: Blitum californicum S. Watson Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 9: 10. 1874
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 279. Mentioned on page 276.

Stems erect to ascending, branched at apex of taproot, 2.5–8 dm, somewhat viscid and farinose. Leaves nonaromatic; petiole 1–12 cm; blade triangular, 4.5–10 × 3–9 cm, base truncate to cordate, margins sinuate-dentate, apex acute to acuminate, sparsely farinose. Inflorescences: dense glomerules sessile on terminal spikes; spikes 5–19 cm; glomerules 3–5 mm diam., flowers developing at about same time; bracts leaflike, subtending lower glomerules, absent for over 1/2 inflorescence, triangular, broadly hastate, 1–3.5 × 0.8–4 cm, apex acuminate, base truncate to hastate, sparsely farinose. Flowers: perianth segments connate into 0.5–0.9 mm tube, lobes oblong or elliptic, 0.6–0.9 (–1.1) × 0.4–1.2 mm, apex obtuse, rounded or truncate, scarcely abaxially keeled throughout, glabrous, not covering fruit at maturity; stamens (4–) 5; stigmas 2. Achenes obovoid; pericarp adherent, ± smooth. Seeds obovoid or rotund, 1.5–2 mm in diam., margins rounded; seed-coat black, rugose.


Phenology: Fruiting spring–fall (winter).
Habitat: Dry to moist slopes, ledges, plains, yellow-pine forests, yucca-juniper woodlands, chaparral and under oaks and willows
Elevation: 30-1500 m

Distribution

V4 509-distribution-map.gif

Calif., Mexico (Baja California)

Discussion

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"narrower" is not a number."dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Chenopodium californicum"
dehiscent +  and indehiscent +
glabrous +  and farinose +
keeled +, truncate +, rounded +, obtuse +, acuminate +  and acute +
Steven E. Clemants +  and Sergei L. Mosyakin +
(S. Watson) S. Watson in W. H. Brewer et al. +
slippery +
aromatic +
truncate +  and hastate +
Blitum californicum +
4.5 cm45 mm <br />0.045 m <br /> (10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br />) +
triangular +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br />) +
persistent +  and deciduous +
reddish-brown +, black +, brown +  and green +
California goosefoot +  and soap plant +
Calif. +  and Mexico (Baja California) +
30-1500 m +
hippocrepiform +  and annular +
symmetric +, or +  and uniseriate +
dehiscent +  and indehiscent +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
Dry to moist slopes, ledges, plains, yellow-pine forests, yucca-juniper woodlands, chaparral and under oaks and willows +
small white +
inflated +
farinose +  and glabrous +
sessile +  and petiolate +
nonaromatic +
not fleshy +
0.09 cm0.9 mm <br />9.0e-4 m <br /> (0.11 cm1.1 mm <br />0.0011 m <br />) +
elliptic +  and oblong +
0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br /> (0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br />) +
not winged +  and winged +
crassinucellate +  and bitegmic +
campylotropous +
1 +  and single +
persistent +  and deciduous +
chartaceous +  and membranaceous +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (12 cm120 mm <br />0.12 m <br />) +
Fruiting spring–fall (winter). +
in W. H. Brewer et al., Bo t. California +
pointing +  and ascending +
bulbous +  and taprooted +
fusiform +
fleshy +  and fibrous +
reddish-brown +, brown +  and black +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
rotund +  and obovoid +
Illustrated +
cylindric +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (19 cm190 mm <br />0.19 m <br />) +
not imbricate +
keeled +  and rounded +
opposite +  and alternate +
erect +  and ascending +
not fleshy +
filiform +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (?) +
sessile +  and petiolate +
reduced;small +
horizontal +  and vertical +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
hastate +  and triangular +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
verrucate +
Blitum sect. Agathophyton +
Chenopodium californicum +
Chenopodium sect. Agathophytum +
species +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.09 cm0.9 mm <br />9.0e-4 m <br />) +
dehiscent +  and indehiscent +
glabrous +  and pubescent +
polygamous +, dioecious +  and monoecious +
not imbricate +
keeled +  and rounded +