68 CHENOPODIACEAE 



1. Aphanisma blitoides Nutt. Aphanisma. Fig. 1480. 



Aphanisma blitoides Nutt. ex Moq. in DC. Prod. 13 2 : 54. 1849. 



Cryptanthus blitoides Nutt. ex Moq. in DC. Prod. 13 2 : 54, as a synonym. 1849. 



Stems branching from the base, ascending or decumbent, 3-7 dm. long. Leaves thin, 6-15 

 mm. long, the lower oblanceolate to oblong and tapering to a short petiole, the upper ovate, 

 clasping at base, acute at apex ; calyx minute, appressed to the base of the fruit ; utricle 1 . 5 mm. 

 broad. 



Bluffs along- the seacoast, Sonoran Zones; Los Angeles County, California, to northern Lower California and 

 the adjacent islands. Type locality: San Diego. April-May. 



3. BETA L. Sp. PI. 222. 1753. 



Annual, biennial, or perennial herbs, with fleshy taproots. Leaves alternate, mostly 

 basal and petiolate, entire or sinuate, the cauline few and usually sessile. Flowers perfect, 

 small, bracteate and bibracteolate, in axillary glomerules of 3 or more, or the glomerules 

 in terminal often elongated simple or paniculate spikes. Calyx urceolate, 5-lobed, adher- 

 ent to the base of the ovary and to the others in the glomerule, closed and indurate in fruit. 

 Stamens 5. Stigmas 2-5, short, united at base. Pericarp united to the calyx below, above 

 fleshy or indurate. Seed horizontal, orbicular or reniform, smooth ; embryo annular. [The 

 ancient name.] 



A genus of 5 or 6 species, natives of Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. Type species, Beta vulgaris L. 



1. Beta vulgaris L. Common Beet. Fig. 1481. 



Beta vulgaris L. Sp. PI. 222. 1753. 



Annual or biennial, 6-12 dm. high, usually glabrous, the stems several, erect or spreading, 



paniculately branched, green or often red. Leaves ovate or ovate-oblong, obtuse, fleshy; spikes 



becoming much elongated in fruit and interrupted; calyx-lobes oblong, becoming strongly 



carinate in fruit. 



An escape from cultivation and sometimes established in low moist ground, especially near the coast in 

 central and southern California. Type locality: seacoast of Europe. July-Nov. 



4. CHENOPODIUM [Tourn.] L. Sp. PI. 218. 1753. 



Annual or perennial herbaceous plants, glabrous, white-mealy or glandular, often 

 strongly scented. Leaves alternate, entire, toothed or pinnatifid. Flowers minute, bract- 

 less, perfect, sessile in small spicate or paniculate glomerules. Calyx 5-parted or rarely 

 4-parted, herbaceous, concave. Stamens mostly 5. Styles usually none; stigmas 2, rarely 

 3-5. Seed horizontal or vertical, free from or adherent to the pericarp; embryo annular. 

 [Name Greek, meaning goose-foot, from the shape of the leaf.] 



About 60 species, 01 wide geographic distribution, many being cosmopolitan weeds. Type species, Chenopo- 

 dium rubrum L. 



Herbage glabrous or more or less mealy, never glandular. 



Annuals. 



Seed horizontal ; mostly introduced weeds. 



Pericarp adherent to the seed. 



Plants glabrous throughout; leaves entire; stems floriferous nearly throughout. 



1. C. polyspermum. 



Plants more or less mealy, at least the nascent parts (nearly glabrous in hybridum); stems 

 usually floriferous only toward the tips of the branches. 

 Leaves abruptly cordate at base, bright green and nearly glabrous. 2. C. hybridum. 

 Leaves cuneate or rounded at base. 



Leaves dark green and lustrous above, sparsely mealy beneath. 3. C. murale. 

 Leaves pale, often densely mealy on both surfaces. 4. C. album. 



Pericarp free from the seed. 



Leaves linear to narrowly oblong; petioles short. 5. C. leptophyllum. 



Leaves ovate-lanceolate or broader, long-pointed, more or less hastate. 6. C. Fremontii. 

 Seed vertical, or an occasional seed horizontal. 



Calyx-lobes not becoming fleshy; some of the seeds horizontal. 



Leaves densely white-mealy beneath, green and glabrous or nearly so above. 



Calvx-lobes narrowly oblong, concealing only a small portion of the utricle; seed sharp- 

 edged. 7. C. glaucum. 



Calyx-lobes rounded, almost completely concealing the utricle; seed with obtuse margin. 



8. C. farinosum. 



Leaves green on both surfaces, or the nascent leaves more or less mealy on both surfaces. 



9. C. rubrum. 



Calyx-lobes becoming red and fleshy; seeds all ve'tic^l. 10. C. capitatum. 



Perennial from a stout fleshy root. 11. C. calif ornicum. 

 Herbage more or less glandular-pubescent. 



Flowers in glomerules, arranged in capitate clusters or short spikes. 



Flower clusters small, capitate, all axillary; calyx-lobes not completely enclosing the fruit. 



12. C. carinatum. 



Flower clusters in short spikes, those on older plants arranged in nearly naked terminal paniculate spikes. 



13. C. ambrosioides. 



Flowers solitary in small cymes, those in older plants forming loose spikes. 14. C. Botrys. 



