CHAPTER XXIII 

 CHENOPODIACE^ (Goosefoot Family) 



This family is widely distributed geographically. They 

 are, for the most part, saline plants found near the ocean or 

 in deserts and steppes. They are characteristic plants of the 

 alkaline swamps and meadows of the western United States. 

 Plants that are able to grow in soils very rich in salts are 

 designated halophytes. Of course the- salinity of the soil 

 solution retards the rate of water intake by the roots, and, 

 consequently, halophytic plants are found with structural 

 adaptations which prevent a rapid loss of water from the 

 leaves. Our most typical halophytic plants are found within 

 the goosefoot family. 



From an economic standpoint, the family is of consider- 

 able importance. The principal cultivated forms are the 

 beet and spinach. A large number are weeds, chief of which 

 are goosefoot, pigweed, lamb's quarters, strawberry blite, 

 and Russian thistle. 



Habit, Stems and Leaves. — Members of the family are 

 annual or perennial herbs, or shrubs {A triplex, saltbush). 

 The stems are cylindrical or angled, erect or decumbent. 

 The leaves are usually alternate, rarely opposite, without 

 stipules, simple, and entire, toothed or lobed. 



Inflorescence and Flowers. — The flowers may occur in 



panicled spikes (beet), or in globular, axillary, sessile heads 



(Blitum capitatum, strawberry blite) or sometimes they are 



solitary in the axils {Salsola, Russian thistle). The flowers 



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