GOOSEFOOT FAMILY. 



271 



1. CHENOPO'DIUM, L. GOOSEFOOT. 



[Or. Chen, a goose, and Pvus,podos, a foot ; in allusion to the form of the leaves.] 



Flowers perfect. Calyx 5-cleft, rarely 2 - 4-cleft or parted, with the 

 lobes sometimes keeled, but not appeudaged nor becoming succulent, 

 more or less enveloping the depressed fruit. Stamens mostly 5 ; filament 

 filiform. Styles 2, rarely 3. Seed horizontal (sometimes vertical in No. 

 3.), lenticular ; embryo partially or fully coiled round. the mealy albumen. 

 Weeds, mostly annuals, usually with a white mealiness or glandular. 

 Flowers sessile in small clusters collected in spiked panicles, blooming 

 throughout the summer. 



* Leaves strongly and sharply-toothed (meal/ness obscure or none), on slen- 



der petioles ; calyx-lobes slightly keeled. 



1. C. hy'bridum, L. Leaves green on both sides, cordate-ovate, acumi- 

 nate, angularly and remotely dentate ; racemes loosely paniculate, leafless. 

 HYBRID CHENOPODIUM. Maple-leaved Goosefoot. 



Stem 2-4 feet high, rather slender, angular and striate, much branched. Leaves 2-4 

 inches long, thin, bright green ; petioles 1-2 inches in length. Flowers paniculate, tluj 

 sub-divisions cymosc ; terminal panicle long and loose, with divaricate branches. The 

 smooth calyx-lobes keeled. Seed sharp-edged, the thin pericarp adhering closely to it. 



About dwellings and along streams : common. Native of Europe. June - August. 



Obs: A. common weed with a heavy odor, like that of Stramonium. 



* * Leaves toothed, repand-angled, or sometimes 

 nearly entire, more or less white-mealy as 

 well as the flowers ; calyx-lobes distinctly 

 keeled. 



2. C. album, L. Leaves rhomboid-ovate, 

 erose-dentate, entire and tapering towards 

 the base, the upper ones oblong-lanceolate, 

 entire ; racemes erect, branched, somewhat 

 leafy. 



WHITE CHENOPODIUM. Lamb's Quarters. 

 Goosefoot. 



Germ. Der Gaense- 



Fr. Anserine blanche, 

 fuss. 



Root annual. Stem 3-5 or 6 feet high, rather stout, 

 angular, often striped with yellow and green, some- 

 times purplish, branched. Leaves 1-3 inches long, 

 covered with very minute flat or cup-like scales (espe- 

 cially on the under surface), which give them a glau- 

 cous or mealy appearance ; petioles 1-2 or 3 inches 

 long. Flowers in pulverulent clusters. Calyx depressed, 



5-anglcd by the prominent keels of the incurved segments, greenish and glaucous. 

 Seed dark purple or nearly black, lenticular, smooth and shining. 



Fw*. 173. An enlarged flower of the Common Goosefoot (Chenopodium album.) 174. The 

 same divided. 175. A section through the seed, showing the coiled embryo outside the 

 albumen. 



