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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| WATSON’S GOOSEFOOT | |||||||||
| The goosefoots are found in a wide variety of habitats around the world, but are especially common in dry or saline soil. Many species are considered weedy or invasive. This family contains over 1,150 fleshy herbs and shrubs. Some species may have kranz venation. This means that if you scrape the leaf with a sharp object you will see a dark network of veins if you look under a microscope at 10X magnification. This character is often used in the identification of plants in this family. The flowers are very small and are found in dense clusters in the leaf axils or at the ends or branches. The sepals and petals are not easily distinguishable, so they may be referred to as the perianth or as tepals. The flowers have five distinct stamens. There is a wide range of physical variation within species. | |||||||||
| SMOOTH GOOSEFOOT | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Chenopodium watsonii | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Watson’s goosefoot grows 2 to 20 cm tall from a taproot. The stem is simple to branched and is mealy in texture. The alternate, stalked leaves are more or less circular in shape. The leaves are mealy and greyish-green, at least on the underside. The flowers are in large, head-like clusters that are arranged in spikes. The sepals and petals are densely mealy and cover the seed at maturity. The seeds are horizontal. This plant can easily be identified by the smell of dead fish. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Smooth goosefoot grows in silty or clayey soil in eroded valleys and badlands. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This plant grows in southwestern Saskatchewan in the Mixed Grassland and Moist Mixed Grassland ecoregions. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Watson’s goosefoot is vulnerable in Saskatchewan because it is rare or uncommon and is regionally restricted. Plants are usually locally numerous within a population but are limited in area. This plant occurs in areas where it may be subject to the effects of human development and is at the northern extent of its range. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIY WATSON'S GOOSEFOOT | |||||||||
| * Does the plant smell like dead fish? * Are the leaves and stems mealy and greyish-green? * Are the leaves nearly circular in shape? * Did you find in southwestern Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have Watson’s goosefoot! | |||||||||
