CHENOPODIACER, 15 
from the abundance of mealy powder, the upper side more thinly 
sprinkled with it; stem striped with green or reddish. Leaves often 
turning red at the margins when they wither. 
Vars. 6 and y are usually larger plants, often 2 to 3 feet high or 
more, much deeper green, more branched, and with the branches less 
erect; the glomerules much more distant, and in much longer spikes. 
The C. paganum of Reichenbach appears to me to bear the same 
relation to his C. viride that the two varieties of C. polyspermum 
bear to each other; but C. viride has usually the margins of the 
calyces more scarious and pale, more mealy, the seeds larger, and 
the leaves more entire. 
I believe var. a may prove a subspecies distinct from vars. 6 
and y, which pass gradually into each other, but as I have not had 
an opportunity of testing its constancy by cultivation, I defer to the 
authority of the majority of botanists by arranging it as a variety. 
The var. paganum is the only one I have raised from seed, and it 
invariably comes up true. Professor Boreau says that C. album, 
paganum, and viride all invariably reproduce themselves from seed. 
White Goosefoot. 
French, Ansérine blanche. German, Gemeiner Giinsefuss. 
The White Goosefoot, or Wild Orache, or Fat Hen, as itis often called, is an abundant 
annual weed in almost every garden and field. Wherever garden ground is allowed to 
run to waste or neglected for any time, there this troublesome plant is sure to appear, 
and multiplying rapidly by seed, soon covers the land. It is usually only regarded 
as an unwelcome intruder, but it may easily be employed as a useful potherb, and in 
some parts of our island is commonly boiled and eaten as a vegetable. 
SPECIES IV—-CHENOPODIUM FICIFOLIUM. Sm. 
Pirate MCXCI. 
C. serotinum, Huds. Fl. Angl. p. 106 (non Linn.). 
C. viride, Curt. Fl. Lond. fase. ii. Pl. XVI. 
C. album, var. Benth. Handbk. Brit. Fl. ed. i. p. 388. 
Stem erect, more or less branched, straight ; branches ascending. 
Leaves oblong or subrhombic-oblong, hastate, with the cusps ascend- 
ing, wedgeshaped at the base, subobtuse, usually sinuate-dentate or 
sinuate-serrate, with the lowest tooth (except in the upper leaves) much 
larger than the others, and sometimes the only one present ; upper 
leaves oblong or oblong-shaped, often entire. Flowers in rather 
small glomerules, arranged in rather long lax ascending slightly 
compound spikes or in small cymes; in either case sparingly leafy 
towards the base; spikes or cymes collected into slender or sub- 
pyramidal panicles, which are sparingly leafy, except at the apex, 
which is commonly leafless. Calyx segments keeled on the back, 
wholly herbaceous, nearly covering the fruit. Seeds all horizontal, 
