Chenopodium incanum (S. Wats.) Heller
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TAXONOMY
 
Family: Chenopodiaceae
Genus: Chenopodium
 
Species Synonyms: none
Common Names: mealy goosefoot
hoary goosefoot
 
DISTRIBUTION
 
Canada: southeastern Alberta – southwestern Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan: southwestern Saskatchewan; Merryflat – Saskatoon
Ecoregion: Cypress Upland, Mixed Grassland, Moist Mixed Grassland
 
HABITAT
 
Saskatchewan: open, clayey grasslands and barrens
 
RARITY STATUS
 
Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):
Threatened
Nature Conservancy Status:
G5 S1
Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:
None
COSEWIC Status:
None
 
Mealy goosefoot is threatened in Saskatchewan because it is extremely rare and somewhat regionally restricted.
 
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
 
Height: < 25 cm
Roots: taproot slender
Stems: annual, erect or ascending, often branched from base, densely mealy throughout, grooved
Leaves: alternate, stalked, blade 7 – 15 mm long, about as wide as long, lower leaves triangular to diamond-shaped, light green, mealy, basal teeth sharp
Inflorescence: head-like clusters congested into spikes, then in terminal or axillary panicles
Flowers: sepals 5, densely to moderately mealy; petals absent; stamens 5; stigmas 2
Fruits: perianth covering seeds at maturity; pericarp appearing smooth, non-adherent; seeds < 1.5 mm, horizontal, black, smooth, shining
 
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