108 CHENOPODIACEAE (GOOSEFOOT FAMILY) 
Wherever this plant is established as a 
weed it has usually first been cultivated in 
gardens for its bright coloring in autumn. 
/ It is becoming increasingly common, par- 
ticularly on the prairies, where.the winds 
N carry it far on the unrestricted levels, for 
its rounded, compact growth makes it a 
tumbleweed. Its name of “Mexican fire- 
weed” is a misnomer, for it is an immigrant 
from Europe. 
Stem one to three feet in height, very 
slender, round, pale green, erect and dif- 
fusely branching. Leaves very numerous, 
one to three inches long, pale green, pointed, 
linear, the upper ones almost thread-like 
in their narrowness.’ Flowers sessile in the 
upper axils, forming short, dense, bracted 
spikes; calyx five-lobed, each segment 
bearing a small, triangular wing; seed 
coat membranaceous. In autumn the 
dense foliage turns fiery red, but later 
the plants become brown and unsightly. 
4 
(Fig. 65.) 
Fic. 65. — Fireball © Means of control the same as for the 
(Kochia Scoparia). X 4. Winge d Pigwee d 
MEXICAN TEA 
Chenopodium ambrosioides, L. 
Other. English names: Spanish Tea, Jerusalem Tea, Jesuit Tea, 
Ambrosia. 
Introduced. Annual. Propagates by seeds. 
Time of bloom: July to September. 
Seed-time: August to October. 
Range: Tropical America, northward to Ontario and westward to 
Pacific Coast. 
Habitat: Old pastures, neglected yards, roadsides, and waste places. 
Most common in the South. 
A strong-scented, unpleasant weed, rejected by all grazing 
animals, even goats. Stem two to four feet tall, erect, much 
