Chenopodium atrovirens Rydb.
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TAXONOMY
 
Family: Chenopodiaceae
Genus: Chenopodium
 
Species Synonyms: Chenopodium wolfii Rydb.
Chenopodium incognitum H.A. Wahl p.p.
Chenopodium fremontii var. atrovirens (Rydb.) Fosberg
Chenopodium aridum A. Nels.
Common Names: dark goosefoot
pinyon goosefoot
dark-green goosefoot
 
DISTRIBUTION
 
Canada: British Columbia – Alberta – western Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan: western Saskatchewan; Rutland to Matador
Ecoregion: Aspen Parkland, Mixed Grassland
 
HABITAT
 
Saskatchewan: open, sometimes disturbed areas
 
RARITY STATUS
 
Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):
Endangered
Nature Conservancy Status:
G5
Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:
None
COSEWIC Status:
None
 
Dark goosefoot is endangered in Saskatchewan because it is extremely rare and regionally restricted. Some populations are threatened by human development.
 
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
 
Height: 25 – 60 cm
Roots: taproot
Stems: annual, erect, solitary from base, branched above, branches ascending and spreading, grooved
Leaves: alternate, short stalked, 1 – 3 cm long, 0.3 – 0.7 cm wide, 2 – 3 times as long as wide, lance-shaped to elliptic or narrowly oval, tip obtuse to rounded, veins 3 or more from base; thin, nearly hairless above, margin entire or with basal lobes
Inflorescence: interrupted, head-like clusters in open, spreading branched inflorescences, mealy
Flowers: sepals 5, spoon-shaped, not covering seed at maturity; petals absent stamens 5; stigmas 2
Fruits: single-seeded, bladdery-inflated, horizontal; pericarp smooth, separable; seed dark, shining, obscurely wrinkled
 
CHENOPODIUM KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN
 
1 Flowers in spherical heads (then in spikes); sepals fleshy and bright red in fruit, appearing berry-like
C. capitatum
1 Flowers in head-like clusters (then in spikes); sepals not fleshy and bright red in fruit, not appearing berry-like
2
   
2 Sepals 3; fruits vertical and occasionally horizontal in the same inflorescence
3
2 Sepals 5; fruits horizontal
4
   
3 Leaves densely white mealy beneath, 2 – 3 cm long; sepals greenish; plants of saline soil
C. glaucum var. salinum
3 Leaves hairless or nearly so beneath, 3 – 10 cm long; sepals becoming reddish with age; plants of lakeshores and dried sloughs
C. rubrum
 
4 Leaves with one vein from base
5
4 Leaves with three or more veins from base
6
 
5 Plants nearly hairless; pericarp easily separated from seed
C. subglabrum
5 Plants mealy; pericarp attached to seed
C. leptophyllum
 
6 Leaves linear to narrowly lance-shaped, 1 – 5 times longer than wide, < 1.5 cm wide
7
6 Leaves diamond-shaped to broadly lance-shaped, 1 – 3 times longer than wide, usually > 1.5 cm wide
11
 
7 Sepal lobes covering seed at maturity
C. dessicatum
7 Sepal lobes not covering seed at maturity
8
 
8 Fruit achene, pericarp attached
9
8 Fruit utricle, pericarp separable
10
 
9 Leaves three times longer than broad or longer, elliptic to narrowly lance-shaped
C. hians
9 Leaves 2 – 3 times longer than broad or less, narrowly oblong to diamond-shaped
C. strictum var. glaucum
 
10 Primary leaves with one or two lobes or teeth above base; plants erect
C. pratericola
10 Primary leaves entire or with basal lobes; plants open and branched
C. atrovirens
 
11 Leaves bright green, square to heart-shaped at base; seeds larger than 1.5 mm
C. simplex
11 Leaves light green, at least below, not square or heart-shaped at base; seeds smaller than 1.5 mm
12
 
12 Fruits appearing honey-combed on surface
13
12 Fruits appearing smooth on surface
14
 
13 Pericarp white at maturity; odour of dead fish
C. watsonii
13 Pericarp translucent at maturity; no odour of dead fish
C. berlandieri
 
14 Lower leaves toothed above base, never entire or with only basal lobes or teeth
C. album
14 Lower leaves entire above base, may have 1 or 2 lobes or teeth at base
15
 
15 Sepals covering fruit at maturity; fruits approximately 1 mm; plants usually less than 50 cm tall; densely mealy throughout
C. incanum
15 Sepals not covering fruit at maturity; fruits slightly larger than 1 mm (to 1.5 mm); plants commonly over 50 cm tall at full maturity; mealy on upper surface of leaves and in inflorescence
C. fremontii var. fremontii