Species: Chenopodium atrovirens Rydb.

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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:

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Chenopodium atrovirens 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, striate

Leaves:

alternate, short petiolate, 1 – 3 cm long, 0.3 – 0.7 cm wide, 2 – 3 times as long as wide, lanceolate to elliptic or narrowly ovate, apex obtuse to rounded, veins 3 or more from base, thin, glabrate above, margin entire or with basal lobes

Inflorescence:

glomerules interrupted, in open, spreading panicles, farinose

Flowers:

sepals 5, obovate, not covering seed at maturity; corolla absent; stamens 5; stigmas 2

Fruits:

utricle horizontal; pericarp smooth, separable; seed dark, shining, obscurely rugulose

CHENOPODIUM KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Flowers in globose heads (then in spikes); calyx fleshy and bright red in fruit, appearing berry-like	C. capitatum
1 Flowers in glomerules (then in spikes); calyx 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 farinose beneath, 2 – 3 cm long; calyx greenish; plants of saline soil	C. glaucum var. salinum
3 Leaves glabrous or nearly so beneath, 3 – 10 cm long; calyx 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 glabrous; pericarp easily separated from seed	C. subglabrum
5 Plants farinose; pericarp attached to seed	C. leptophyllum

6 Leaves linear to narrowly lanceolate, 1 – 5 times longer than wide, < 1.5 cm wide	7
6 Leaves rhombic to broadly lanceolate, 1 – 3 times longer than wide, usually > 1.5 cm wide	11

7 Calyx lobes covering seed at maturity	C. dessicatum
7 Calyx lobes not covering seed at maturity	8

8 Fruit an achene, pericarp attached	9
8 Fruit a utricle, pericarp separable	10

9 Leaves three times longer than broad or longer, elliptic to narrowly lanceolate	C. hians
9 Leaves 2 – 3 times longer than broad or less, narrowly oblong to rhombic	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, base truncate to cordate; seeds larger than 1.5 mm	C. simplex
11 Leaves light green, at least below, base not truncate or cordate; 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 Calyx covering fruit at maturity; fruits approximately 1 mm; plants usually less than 50 cm tall; densely farinose throughout	C. incanum
15 Calyx not covering fruit at maturity; fruits slightly larger than 1 mm (to 1.5 mm); plants commonly over 50 cm tall at full maturity; farinose on upper surface of leaves and in inflorescence	C. fremontii var. fremontii