438 THE GOOSErOOT TAMILT. 



IV. GOOSEFOOT. CHENOPODIUM. 



Herbs, either glabrous or covered with a mealy dust ; the leaves flat and 

 alternate ; the flowers small and green, in little sessile clusters, collected 

 into spikes in the axils of the upper leaves, or forming large terminal pani- 

 cles. Perianth of 5 (rarely fewer in a few flowers) equal segments, which 

 enclose the ripe fruit without appendages or alteration, excepting a slight 

 enlargement or thickening. Stamens 5 (rarely fewer) . Styles 2 or 3, often 

 connected at the base. Embryo of the seed curved or forming a i-ing roimd 

 the albumen. 



The species are rather numerous, widely distributed over the globe, with 

 fewer strictly maritime ones than in most other genera of the Order. When 

 young they much resemble the Oraches, but as the flowering advances they 

 can be always known by the want of the peculiar fruiting perianths of that 

 genus. 



Perennial, with a thick, fleshy root, and broadly triangular, dark 



green leaves 9. Perennial G. 



Annuals. Leaves green or grey. 



Leaves all quite entire. Stems procumbent. 



Plant mealy and whitish, with a nauseous smell when rubbed 1. Stinking G. 



Plant green and scentless 2. Many-seeded G. 



Leaves, at least the lower ones, sinuate, or toothed, or lobed, 

 or angular. 

 Leaves obtusely toothed or sinuate. Plant more or less mealy- 

 white. 

 Plant usually erect. Upper leaves narrow and entire, 



whitish on both sides 3. Wldte G. 



Plant procumbent. Leaves all sinuate, green above, white 



underneath 4. Glaucous G. 



JjOioer leaves broad, irregularly and coarsely toothed or lobed. 

 Plant green /'except sometimes the nettle-leaved G.J. 

 Lower leaves broadly cordate or truncate at the base. 

 Clusters of flowers chiefly in a loose, terminal, leafless 



panicle 8. Maple-leaved G. 



Lower leaves wedge-shaped, or narrowed at the base. Clus- 

 ters of flowers in axillary spikes, or in a short, terminal, 

 leafy panicle. 

 Axillary spikes erect, simple or but little branched. 



Seeds horizontal . . 6. XJpright G. 



Seeds vertical 5. Red G. 



Axillary spikes forked into spreading cymes 7. Nettle-leaved G. 



1. Stinking; Goosefoot. Chenopodium Vulvaria, Linn. 

 (C. olidmn, Eng. Bot. t. 1034.) 



A procumbent or spreading, much branched annual, seldom a foot long, 

 covered with a granular meahness, and remarkable for a strong, stale-fish 

 smell when rubbed. Leaves small, ovate, all quite entu-e, on rather long 

 stalks. Clusters of flowers small, in short axillary and terminal racemes, 

 often branched, but not much exceeding the leaves in length. 



Under walls, in waste and rubbishy places, in Europe and western Asia, 

 extending northwards into soutliern Scandinavia. Occurs in various parts 

 of England and southern Scotland, more rare ii. the west, and in Ireland. 

 Fl. summer and autumn. 



2. Many-seeded Goosefoot. Chenopodium polyspermum, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 1480, and C. acidifoliuni, t. 1481.) 

 Usually a procumbent or sjoreading, much-branched annual, with all the 

 leaves quite entire, as in the sthiking &., but without the granular meaH- 



