Vascular Plants of the Gila Wilderness

Presented in Association with the
Western New Mexico University Department of Natural Sciences

Chenopodiaceae
(Goosefoot Family)


The Chenopodiaceae have inconspicuous, small flowers with no petals. These "weedy" plants grow in disturbed places. The fruit is a nutlet. Chenopodiaceae are well represented and common in the west. They can be challenging to identify correctly. One distinguishing characteristic used in keys is whether the seed is horizonatally or vertically aligned in the mature perianth.


Atriplex canescens (Four-wing Salt Bush)
Atriplex elegans (Wheel Scale)
Chenopodium album var. missouriense (Lamb's Quarter)
Chenopodium berlandieri (Pitted Goosefoot)
Chenopodium capitatum var. parvicapitatum (Strawberry Blite)
Chenopodium foliosum (Leafy Goosefoot)
Chenopodium incanum (Mealy Goosefoot)
Chenopodium neomexicanum (New Mexico Goosefoot)
Chenopodium simplex (Goosefoot)
Dysphania botrys (Jerusalem Oak)
Dysphania graveolens (Fetid Goosefoot)
Kochia scoparia (Summer Cypress)
Krascheninnikovia lanata (Winterfat)
Salsola tragus (Tumbleweed, Russian Thistle)


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