GOOSEFOOT FAMILY. 176 



2. BETA L. 



Robust glabrous biennials with large fleshy roots and alternate 

 leaves, the radical large and long-petioled, the floral reduced and 

 sessile. Inflorescence spicate. Flowers fascicled in the axils of the 

 leaves or bracts, perfect. Sepals 5, sometimes costate dorsally. 

 Stamens 5, opposite the sepals, perigynous; filaments frequenth" 

 connate at base. Ovary sunk in the succulent ba.se of the perianth 

 and partly inferior; styles 2 or 3, short, stigmatose on the inside. 

 Fruit included in the at length much indurated calyx. Embryo 

 annular. (Name said to be from the Celtic, bett, red, on account of 

 the color of the joot. ) 



1. B. vulgaris L. Beet. Root biennial, IJ to 2 in. in diameter, 



3 to 6 in. long, tapering downwards; stems stout, 2 to 4 ft. high, 

 paniculately branched above; leaves 6 to 9 in. long, oblong or oval, 

 undulate; cauline smaller, ovate-lanceolate; flowers greenish-white in 

 sessile clusters, forming slender spikes, these disposed in a leafy 

 panicle; seed rugose. 



Marshes near Alvarado; Petaluma. An escape from gardens. 

 June. 



3. CHENOPODIUM L. Goosefoot. Pigweed. 

 Annual or perennial herbs, frequently white-mealy or glandular, 

 with alternate petioled leaves. Flowers perfect, greenish, bractless 

 and sessile, clustered in axillary or, terminal spikes. Spikes often 

 panioled. Calyx 5 (or 3 to 4)-parted, the lobes usually somewhat 

 carinate or in fruit crested, and commonly completely covering the 

 seed-like achene. Stamens 5 or fewer. Ovary depressed; styles 2, 

 rarely 3 to 4, slender. Pericarp membranous, closely investing the 

 seed. Embr3'0 annular, sometimes incompletely so. (Greek cben, 

 goose, and pous, foot, on account of the shape of the leaves. ) 



Annual; calyx parted Into lobes or segments. 

 Finely mealy, not pubescent or glandular; perianth dry, closely persistent on 

 the seed; embryo annular. 



Erect, herbage light green 1. C. album. 



DifTase, herbage dark green 2. C. murale. 



Not mealy, glandular-pubescent and aromatic; fruit seed-like, small, 

 Included in the dry perianth; embryo curved. 

 Leaves slender-petloled; fruit imperfectly enclosed; spikes oymose-diverg- 



ing, leafless 3. C. Botrys. 



Leaves slightly petioled; fruit perfectly enclosed. 



Spikes dense, ieafy 4. C. ambrosloides. 



Spikes more elon^ted, leafless 5. C. anthdminiicum. 



Neither glabrous nor mealy; flowers in dense short axillary spikes; perianth 

 more or less fleshy in fruit, enclosing the utricle; embryo annular . . 



6. C. ruhrum. 

 Perennial; calyx merely toothed or cleft, more distinctly synsepalous, in fruit 

 dry; leaves broadly triangular; spike terminal, leafy only below; fruit 

 seed-like, exserted; embryo annular 7. C. Oalifomicum. 



1. C. album L. Pigweed. "White Goosefoot. Commonly 2 to 



4 ft. high, erect, usually paniculately branched; herbage more or less 

 lio-ht o-i-een or white-mealy; leaves rhombic-ovate, sinuate-dentate 

 below or about the middle, "the uppermost varying to lanceolate, and 

 subentire, 1 to 2 in. long, whiter beneath than above; flowers densely 



