''Blitum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the

amaranth ''Amaranthus'' is a cosmopolitan genus of annual or short-lived perennial plants collectively known as amaranths. Some amaranth species are cultivated as leaf vegetables, pseudocereals, and ornamental plants. Catkin-like cymes of densely pack ...

family Amaranthaceae, subfamily

Chenopodioideae The Chenopodioideae are a subfamily of the flowering plant family Amaranthaceae in the APG III system, which is largely based on molecular phylogeny, but were included - together with other subfamilies - in family Chenopodiaceae in the Cronquist ...

. It is closely related to genus '' Spinacia''. Its 12 species were traditionally placed in the genera '' Chenopodium'', ''Monolepis'', or ''Scleroblitum''. The species of genus ''Blitum'' occur in Asia, Europe, North Africa, the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

, and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Description

The species in genus ''Blitum'' are non-aromatic annual or perennial herbs. They are glabrous, or sometimes covered with stipitate vesicular hairs, young plants may be sticky. From the base emerge several erect, ascending or prostrate stems, that are unbranched or sparsely branched. The alternate

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

consist of a petiole and a simple blade. The basal leaves are often long-petiolate and forming a rosette. The leaf blade is thin oder slightly fleshy, and may be triangular, triangular-hastate, triangular-lanceolate, or spathulate, with entire to dentate margins. The inflorescences consist of spicately arranged compact glomerules of flowers, ebracteate or in the axils of small leaf-like bracts. Flowers are

bisexual Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...

or pistillate. They contain (1) 3-5 herbaceous, unkeeled perianth segments, connate only at base or nearly to the middle, sometimes missing; a circle of 1-5 stamens; and an ovary with 2-4 stigmas. In fruit, the perianth becomes either succulent or dry and hard. The pericarp is membranous and usually adhering to the vertically orientated, broadly ovate to orbicular seed. The seed coat is dark brown to black, its surface can be dull, almost smooth, slightly striate, rugulose, or reticulate.

Systematics and distribution

The genus ''Blitum'' was first described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus in ''

Species Plantarum ' (Latin for "The Species of Plants") is a book by Carl Linnaeus, originally published in 1753, which lists every species of plant known at the time, classified into genera. It is the first work to consistently apply binomial names and was the ...

'', Vol. 2, p. 4. Type species is ''

Blitum capitatum Strawberry blite (''Blitum capitatum'', syn. ''Chenopodium capitatum'') is an edible annual plant, also known as blite goosefoot, strawberry goosefoot, strawberry spinach, Indian paint, and Indian ink. It is native to most of North America thr ...

'' L. Since the second half of the 19th century, ''Blitum'' species were grouped into genus '' Chenopodium'' and treated as a subgenus, ''Chenopodium'' subgenus ''Blitum''. Phylogenetic research revealed, that these species, as well as species of ''Monolepis'' and ''Scleroblitum'', are more closely related to '' Spinacia'', and do not really belong to ''Chenopodium''. Therefore Fuentes-Bazan et al. (2012) separated them as own genus ''Blitum''. Together with ''Spinacia'', the genus ''Blitum'' was grouped into tribe Anserineae (syn. Spinacieae). According to Fuentes-Bazan (2012), ''Blitum'' consists of 12 species: * ''

Blitum asiaticum ''Blitum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the amaranth family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. It is closely related to genus '' Spinacia''. Its 12 species were traditionally placed in the genera '' Chenopodium'', ''Monolepis'', or ...

'' (Fisch. & C. A. Mey) S. Fuentes, Uotila & Borsch, (syn. ''Monolepis asiatica'' Fisch. & C. A. Mey): occurring in northeastern Russia in Sakha and the region of

Khabarovsk Khabarovsk ( rus, Хабaровск, a=Хабаровск.ogg, r=Habárovsk, p=xɐˈbarəfsk) is the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative centre of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia,Law #109 located from the China ...

. * ''

Blitum atriplicinum ''Blitum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the amaranth family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. It is closely related to genus ''Spinacia''. Its 12 species were traditionally placed in the genera ''Chenopodium'', ''Monolepis'', or '' ...

'' F. Muell., (syn. ''Scleroblitum atriplicinum'' (F. Muell.) Ulbr.): distributed in Australia. * ''

Blitum bonus-henricus ''Blitum bonus-henricus'' ( syn. ''Chenopodium bonus-henricus''), also called Good-King-Henry, poor-man's asparagus, perennial goosefoot, Lincolnshire spinach, Markery, English mercury, or mercury goosefoot, is a species of goosefoot which is na ...

'' (L.) Rchb. (syn. ''Chenopodium bonus-henricus'' L.), Good king henry: distributed in Europe. * ''

Blitum californicum ''Blitum californicum'' (synonym (taxonomy), syn. ''Chenopodium californicum'') is a species of flowering plant in the amaranthaceae, amaranth family known by the common names California goosefoot and (ambiguously) "Indian lettuce". It is native ...

'' S. Watson, (syn. ''Chenopodium californicum'' (S.Watson) S.Watson), California goosefoot: in California and Mexico. * ''

'' L., (syn. ''Chenopodium capitatum'' (L.) Ambrosi), strawberry blite: in North America, naturalized in Europe. * '' Blitum hastatum'' Rydb., (syn. ''Chenopodium capitatum'' var. ''parvicapitatum'' Welsh): in North America. * ''

Blitum korshinskyi ''Blitum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the amaranth family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. It is closely related to genus '' Spinacia''. Its 12 species were traditionally placed in the genera '' Chenopodium'', ''Monolepis'', or ...

'' Litv., (syn. ''Chenopodium korshinskyi'' (Litv.) Minkw): in

Tadzhikistan Tajikistan (, ; tg, Тоҷикистон, Tojikiston; russian: Таджикистан, Tadzhikistan), officially the Republic of Tajikistan ( tg, Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон, Jumhurii Tojikiston), is a landlocked country in Centra ...

. * '' Blitum litwinowii'' (Paulsen) S. Fuentes, Uotila & Borsch, (syn. ''Monolepis litwinowii'' Paulsen, ''Chenopodium litwinowii'' (Paulsen) Uotila): in Afghanistan and

. * ''

Blitum nuttallianum ''Blitum nuttallianum'', (syn. ''Monolepis nuttalliana'') is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family known by the common names povertyweed and Nuttall's povertyweed. It is native to North America, where it is widespread and common fr ...

'' Schult., (syn. ''Monolepis nuttalliana'' (Schult.) Greene, ''Chenopodium trifidum'' Trev.), Nuttall's povertyweed: in North America and Argentina. * '' Blitum petiolare'' Link, (syn. ''Chenopodium exsuccum'' (C. Loscos) Uotila): in North Africa, Portugal and Spain, naturalized in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

. * ''

Blitum spathulatum ''Blitum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the amaranth family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. It is closely related to genus '' Spinacia''. Its 12 species were traditionally placed in the genera '' Chenopodium'', ''Monolepis'', or ...

'' (A. Gray) S. Fuentes, Uotila & Borsch, (syn. ''Monolepis spathulata'' A. Gray): in southern North America, naturalized in Australia. * ''

Blitum virgatum ''Blitum virgatum'', ( syn. ''Chenopodium foliosum'') is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family known by the common name leafy goosefoot. It is native to Eurasia. It can be found on other continents as an introduced species, growin ...

'' L. (syn. ''Chenopodium foliosum'' Asch.), leafy goosefoot: in Europe und Asia, naturalized in North America.

References

* Susy Fuentes-Bazan, Pertti Uotila, Thomas Borsch: A novel phylogeny-based generic classification for Chenopodium sensu lato, and a tribal rearrangement of Chenopodioideae (Chenopodiaceae). In: ''Willdenowia'' 42, 2012, p. 16-18. ''Species Plantarum'' at BHL
/ref> {{Taxonbar, from=Q8248805 Amaranthaceae genera Chenopodioideae