''Chenopodium'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of numerous

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wid ...

annual Annual may refer to: *Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year ** Yearbook ** Literary annual *Annual plant *Annual report *Annual giving *Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco *Annuals (band), ...

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s known as the goosefoots, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Amaranthaceae Amaranthaceae is a family of flowering plants commonly known as the amaranth family, in reference to its type genus ''Amaranthus''. It includes the former goosefoot family Chenopodiaceae and contains about 165 genera and 2,040 species, making it ...

in the

APG II system The APG II system (Angiosperm Phylogeny Group II system) of plant classification is the second, now obsolete, version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy that was published in April 2003 by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Gr ...

; older classification systems, notably the widely used

Cronquist system The Cronquist system is a taxonomic classification system of flowering plants. It was developed by Arthur Cronquist in a series of monographs and texts, including ''The Evolution and Classification of Flowering Plants'' (1968; 2nd edition, 1988) ...

, separate it and its relatives as

Chenopodiaceae Amaranthaceae is a family of flowering plants commonly known as the amaranth family, in reference to its type genus '' Amaranthus''. It includes the former goosefoot family Chenopodiaceae and contains about 165 genera and 2,040 species, making i ...

, but this leaves the rest of the Amaranthaceae

polyphyletic A polyphyletic group is an assemblage of organisms or other evolving elements that is of mixed evolutionary origin. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as homoplasies, which are explained as a result of conver ...

. However, among the Amaranthaceae, the genus ''Chenopodium'' is the namesake member of the subfamily Chenopodioideae.

Description

The species of ''Chenopodium'' (s.str., description according to Fuentes et al. 2012) are

herbs,

shrubs A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

or small

trees In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are u ...

. They generally rely on

alkaline soil Alkali, or Alkaline, soils are clay soils with high pH (greater than 8.5), a poor soil structure and a low infiltration capacity. Often they have a hard calcareous layer at 0.5 to 1 metre depth. Alkali soils owe their unfavorable physico ...

. They are nonaromatic, but sometimes fetid. The young stems and leaves are often densely covered by vesicular globose hairs, thus looking farinose. Characteristically, these

trichomes Trichomes (); ) are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants, algae, lichens, and certain protists. They are of diverse structure and function. Examples are hairs, glandular hairs, scales, and papillae. A covering of any kind of hair on a plant ...

persist, collapsing later and becoming cup-shaped. The branched stems grow erect, ascending, prostrate or scrambling. Lateral branches are alternate (the lowermost ones can be nearly opposite). The alternate or opposite

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 ...

are petiolate. Their thin or slightly fleshy leaf blade is linear, rhombic or triangular-hastate, with entire or dentate or lobed margins.

Inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

s are standing terminal and lateral. They consist of spicately or paniculately arranged glomerules of flowers. Plants are monoecious (rarely

dioecious Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...

). In monoecious plants flowers are dimorphic or

pistillate Gynoecium (; ) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl (botany), whorl of a flower; it consists of (one or m ...

. Flowers consist of (4–) 5

perianth The perianth (perigonium, perigon or perigone in monocots) is the non-reproductive part of the flower, and structure that forms an envelope surrounding the sexual organs, consisting of the calyx (sepals) and the corolla ( petals) or tepals when ...

segments connate, basally or close to the middle, usually membranous margined and with a roundish to keeled back; almost always 5 stamens, and one ovary with 2 stigmas. In fruit, perianth segments become sometimes coloured, but mostly keep unchanged, somewhat closing over or spreading from the fruit. The

pericarp Fruit anatomy is the plant anatomy of the internal structure of fruit. Fruits are the mature ovary or ovaries of one or more flowers. They are found in three main anatomical categories: aggregate fruits, multiple fruits, and simple fruits. Aggr ...

is membranous or sometimes succulent, adherent to or loosely covering the seed. The horizontally oriented seeds are depressed-globular to lenticular, with rounded to subacute margin. The black seed coat is almost smooth to finely striate, rugulose or pitted.

Uses and human importance

The genus ''Chenopodium'' contains several plants of minor to moderate importance as food crops as

leaf vegetable Leaf vegetables, also called leafy greens, pot herbs, vegetable greens, or simply greens, are plant leaves eaten as a vegetable, sometimes accompanied by tender petioles and shoots. Leaf vegetables eaten raw in a salad can be called salad gre ...

s – used like the closely related

spinach Spinach (''Spinacia oleracea'') is a leafy green flowering plant native to central and western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common edible vegetable consumed either f ...

(''Spinacia oleracea'') and similar plants called ''quelite'' in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

and

pseudocereal A pseudocereal or pseudograin is one of any non-grasses that are used in much the same way as cereals (true cereals are grasses). Pseudocereals can be further distinguished from other non-cereal staple crops (such as potatoes) by their being pro ...

s. These include

white goosefoot ''Chenopodium album'' is a fast-growing weedy annual plant in the genus ''Chenopodium''. Though cultivated in some regions, the plant is elsewhere considered a weed. Common names include lamb's quarters, melde, goosefoot, wild spinach and fat- ...

(''C. album''), ''

kañiwa ''Chenopodium pallidicaule'', known as ''cañihua'', ''canihua'' or ''cañahua'' (from Quechua ''qañiwa, qañawa or qañawi'') and also kaniwa, is a species of goosefoot, similar in character and uses to the closely related ''quinoa'' ''(Chenopo ...

'' (''C. pallidicaule'') and

quinoa Quinoa (''Chenopodium quinoa''; , from Quechua ' or ') is a flowering plant in the amaranth family. It is a herbaceous annual plant grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds; the seeds are rich in protein, dietary fiber, B vitamins, a ...

(''C. quinoa''). On the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

island of

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...

, tender shoots and leaves of a species called ''krouvida'' (κρουβίδα) or ''psarovlito'' (ψαρόβλητο) are eaten by the locals, boiled or steamed. As studied by

Bruce D. Smith Bruce D. Smith (born 1946) is an American archaeologist and curator at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History who primarily focuses on the interaction of humans with their environment, especially the origins of agricultu ...

Kristen Gremillion Kristen Johnson Gremillion (born November 17, 1958) is an American anthropologist whose areas of specialization include paleoethnobotany, origins of agriculture, the prehistory of eastern North America, human paleoecology and paleodiet, and the ev ...

and others, goosefoots have a history of culinary use dating back to 4000 BC or earlier, when pitseed goosefoot (''C. berlandieri'') was a staple crop in the Native American

Eastern Agricultural Complex The Eastern Agricultural Complex in the woodlands of eastern North America was one of about 10 independent centers of plant domestication in the pre-historic world. Incipient agriculture dates back to about 5300 BCE. By about 1800 BCE the Native ...

, and white goosefoot was apparently used by the

Ertebølle culture The Ertebølle culture (ca 5300 BCE – 3950 BCE) () is the name of a hunter-gatherer and fisher, pottery-making culture dating to the end of the Mesolithic period. The culture was concentrated in Southern Scandinavia. It is named after the ...

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

. Members of the eastern

Yamnaya culture The Yamnaya culture or the Yamna culture (russian: Ямная культура, ua, Ямна культура lit. 'culture of pits'), also known as the Pit Grave culture or Ochre Grave culture, was a late Copper Age to early Bronze Age archa ...

also harvested white goosefoot as an apparent cereal substitute to round out an otherwise mostly meat and dairy diet c.'' ''3500–2500'' ''BC. There is increased interest in particular in goosefoot seeds today, which are suitable as part of a

gluten-free diet A gluten-free diet (GFD) is a nutritional plan that strictly excludes gluten, which is a mixture of proteins found in wheat (and all of its species and hybrids, such as spelt, kamut, and triticale), as well as barley, rye, and oats. The incl ...

. Quinoa oil, extracted from the seeds of ''C. quinoa'', has similar properties, but is superior in quality, to corn oil. Oil of chenopodium is extracted from the seeds of

epazote ''Dysphania ambrosioides'', formerly ''Chenopodium ambrosioides'', known as Jesuit's tea, Mexican-tea, ''payqu'' ''(paico)'', ''epazote'', ''mastruz'', or ''herba sanctæ Mariæ'', is an annual or short-lived perennial herb native to Central A ...

, which is not in this genus anymore.

Shagreen Shagreen is a type of rawhide consisting of rough untanned skin, historically from a horse's or onager's back, or from shark or ray. Etymology The word derives from the French ''chagrin'' and is related to Italian ''zigrino'' and Venetian '' ...

leather was produced in the past using the small, hard goosefoot seeds. ''C. album'' was one of the main model organisms for the

molecular biological Molecular biology is the branch of biology that seeks to understand the molecular basis of biological activity in and between cells, including biomolecular synthesis, modification, mechanisms, and interactions. The study of chemical and physi ...

study of chlorophyllase. Goosefoot

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophyt ...

, in particular of the widespread and usually abundant ''C. album'', is an

allergen An allergen is a type of antigen that produces an abnormally vigorous immune response in which the immune system fights off a perceived threat that would otherwise be harmless to the body. Such reactions are called allergies. In technical terms ...

to many people and a common cause of hay fever. The same species, as well as some others, have seeds which are able to persist for years in the

soil seed bank The soil seed bank is the natural storage of seeds, often dormant, within the soil of most ecosystems. The study of soil seed banks started in 1859 when Charles Darwin observed the emergence of seedlings using soil samples from the bottom of a lak ...

. Many goosefoot species are thus significant

weed A weed is a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, "a plant in the wrong place", or a plant growing where it is not wanted.Harlan, J. R., & deWet, J. M. (1965). Some thoughts about weeds. ''Economic botany'', ''19''(1), 16-24. ...

s, and some have become invasive species. In Australia, the larger ''Chenopodium'' species are among the plants called "bluebushes". According to the 1889 book ''The Useful Native Plants of Australia'', ''Chenopodium auricomum'' "is another of the salt-bushes, which, besides being invaluable food for stock, can be eaten by man. All plants of the Natural Order Chenopodiaceae (Salsolacese) are more or less useful in this respect." The book goes on to give the following account from the ''Journal de la Ferme et des Maisons de campagne'':

We have recently gathered an abundant harvest of leaves from two or three plants growing in our garden. These leaves were put into boiling water to blanch them, and they were then cooked as an ordinary dish of spinach, with this difference in favour of the new plant, that there was no occasion to take away the threads which are so disagreeable in chicory, sorrel, and ordinary spinach. We partook of this dish with relish—the flavour—analogous to spinach, had something in it more refined, less grassy in taste. The cultivation is easy: sow the seed in April (October) in a well-manured bed, for the plant is greedy; water it. The leaves may be gathered from the time the plant attains 50 centimetres (say 20 inches) in height. They grow up again quickly. In less than eight days afterwards another gathering may take place, and so on to the end of the year.

Chualar, California Chualar (Spanish for " Pigweed grove") is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in the Salinas Valley of Monterey County, California, United States. Chualar is located southeast of Salinas, at an elevation of . The popul ...

is named after a Native American term for a goosefoot abundant in the region, probably the California goosefoot (''Blitum californicum'').

Ecology

Certain species grow in large

thicket A thicket is a very dense stand of trees or tall shrubs, often dominated by only one or a few species, to the exclusion of all others. They may be formed by species that shed large numbers of highly viable seeds that are able to germinate in t ...

s, providing cover for small animals. Goosefoot foliage is used as food by the

caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...

s of certain

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

. The seeds are eaten by many

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

s, such as the

yellowhammer The yellowhammer (''Emberiza citrinella'') is a passerine bird in the bunting family that is native to Eurasia and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia. Most European birds remain in the breeding range year-round, but the eastern ...

(''Emberiza citrinella'') of Europe or the

white-winged fairy-wren The white-winged fairywren (''Malurus leucopterus'') is a species of passerine bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae. It lives in the drier parts of Central Australia; from central Queensland and South Australia across to Western Austr ...

(''Malurus leucopterus'') of

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 ...

. Goosefoot

pathogens In biology, a pathogen ( el, πάθος, "suffering", "passion" and , "producer of") in the oldest and broadest sense, is any organism or agent that can produce disease. A pathogen may also be referred to as an infectious agent, or simply a germ ...

include the

positive-sense ssRNA virus Positive-strand RNA viruses (+ssRNA viruses) are a group of related viruses that have positive-sense, single-stranded genomes made of ribonucleic acid. The positive-sense genome can act as messenger RNA (mRNA) and can be directly translated in ...

es apple stem grooving virus,

sowbane mosaic virus ''Sowbane mosaic virus'' (SoMV) is a pathogenic plant virus Plant viruses are viruses that affect plants. Like all other viruses, plant viruses are obligate intracellular parasites that do not have the molecular machinery to replicate withou ...

and tobacco necrosis virus.

Systematics

The genus ''Chenopodium'' was described by

Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...

in 1753 (In: ''Species Plantarum'', Vol. 1, p. 218–222). Type species is ''

Chenopodium album ''Chenopodium album'' is a fast-growing weedy annual plant in the genus ''Chenopodium''. Though cultivated in some regions, the plant is elsewhere considered a weed. Common names include lamb's quarters, melde, goosefoot, wild spinach and fat-h ...

''. This generic name is derived from the particular shape of the leaf, which is similar to a goose's foot: from

χήν (''chen''), "goose" and πούς (''pous''), "foot" or ποδίον (''podion''), "little foot". In its traditional circumscription, ''Chenopodium'' comprised about 170 species. Phylogenetic research revealed, that the genus was highly

and did not reflect how species were naturally related. Therefore, a new classification was necessary. Mosyakin & Clemants (2002, 2008) separated the glandular species as genus '' Dysphania'' (which includes

) and '' Teloxys'' in tribe Dysphanieae. Fuentes-Bazan et al. (2012) separated many species to genera ''

Blitum ''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 ''S ...

'' (in tribe Anserineae), '' Chenopodiastrum'', ''

Lipandra ''Lipandra polysperma'' (Syn. ''Chenopodium polyspermum''), common name manyseed goosefoot, is the only species of the monotypic plant genus ''Lipandra'' from the subfamily Chenopodioideae of the family Amaranthaceae. Description ''Lipandra p ...

'', and ''

Oxybasis ''Oxybasis'' is a flowering plant genus from the subfamily Chenopodioideae of the family Amaranthaceae. It was first described in 1841, and newly used since 2012 for five species that were traditionally grouped into genus ''Chenopodium''. They o ...

'' (like ''Chenopodium'' in tribe

Atripliceae Atripliceae are a tribe of the subfamily Chenopodioideae belonging to the plant family Amaranthaceae. '' Atriplex'' is the largest genus of the tribe. Species of Atripiceae are ecologically important in steppe and semi-desert climates. Distrib ...

). They included ''Rhagodia'' and ''Einadia'' in ''Chenopodium''.

Selected species

MagentaSpreen Chenopodium giganteum EdibleOffice

* ''

Chenopodium acicularis ''Chenopodium'' is a genus of numerous species of perennial or annual herbaceous flowering plants known as the goosefoots, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family Amaranthaceae in the APG II system; older classific ...

'' * ''

Chenopodium acuminatum ''Chenopodium'' is a genus of numerous species of perennial or annual herbaceous flowering plants known as the goosefoots, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family Amaranthaceae in the APG II system; older classifica ...

'' Willd. * ''

Chenopodium albescens ''Chenopodium'' is a genus of numerous species of perennial or annual herbaceous flowering plants known as the goosefoots, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family Amaranthaceae in the APG II system; older classifica ...

'' * ''

'' – white goosefoot, nickel greens, dungweed, ''bathua'', ''chandali'', ''chandaliya'', fat hen, lamb's quarters, pigweed ** ''Chenopodium album'' ssp. ''amaranticolor'' * '' Chenopodium allanii'' * '' Chenopodium arizonicum'' – Arizona goosefoot * '' Chenopodium atrovirens'' – dark goosefoot, pinyon goosefoot * ''

Chenopodium aureum ''Chenopodium'' is a genus of numerous species of perennial or annual herbaceous flowering plants known as the goosefoots, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family Amaranthaceae in the APG II system; older classifica ...

'' – golden goosefoot * '' Chenopodium auricomiforme'' * '' Chenopodium auricomum'' – Queensland bluebush * ''

Chenopodium baccatum ''Chenopodium baccatum'' (Syn. ''Rhagodia baccata''), commonly known as berry saltbush, is a species of shrub endemic to Western Australia. Description It is a spreading shrub up to two metres high, with elliptical leaves, and flowers that occur ...

'' (Syn. ''Rhagodia baccata'') * '' Chenopodium benthamii'' (Syn.: ''Rhagodia latifolia'') * ''

Chenopodium berlandieri ''Chenopodium berlandieri'', also known by the common names pitseed goosefoot, lamb's quarters (or lambsquarters), and ''huauzontle'' (Nahuatl) is an annual herbaceous plant in the family Amaranthaceae. The species is widespread in North Ameri ...

'' – pitseed goosefoot, southern huauzontle, lambsquarters ** ''Chenopodium berlandieri'' ssp. ''nuttalliae'' (Saff.) H.D.Wilson & Heiser ** ''Chenopodium berlandieri'' var. ''bushianum'' ** ''Chenopodium berlandieri'' var. ''zschackii'' * ''

Chenopodium brandegeeae ''Chenopodium'' is a genus of numerous species of perennial or annual herbaceous flowering plants known as the goosefoots, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family Amaranthaceae in the APG II system; older classific ...

'' – Brandegee's goosefoot * '' Chenopodium bryoniifolium'' Bunge – Korean goosefoot * ''

Chenopodium bushianum ''Chenopodium'' is a genus of numerous species of perennial or annual herbaceous flowering plants known as the goosefoots, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family Amaranthaceae in the APG II system; older classific ...

'' – village goosefoot * '' Chenopodium candolleanum'' (Syn.: ''Rhagodia candolleana'') * ''

Chenopodium curvispicatum ''Chenopodium curvispicatum'' is a species of plant in the family Amaranthaceae, endemic to Australia. It is a shrub reaching 1 metre in height with triangular leaves covered in hairs. The inflorescences are drooping panicles with flowers tha ...

'' * '' Chenopodium cycloides'' – sandhill goosefoot * ''

Chenopodium desertorum ''Chenopodium desertorum'', common name frosted goosefruit, is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae, indigenous to Australia where it is found in all mainland states. Taxonomy It was first described by J.M.Black, John McConne ...

'' – desert goosefoot ** ''Chenopodium desertorum'' ssp. ''anidiophyllum'' ** ''Chenopodium desertorum'' ssp. ''desertorum'' ** ''Chenopodium desertorum'' ssp. ''microphyllum'' ** ''Chenopodium desertorum'' ssp. ''rectum'' ** ''Chenopodium desertorum'' ssp. ''virosum'' * ''

Chenopodium desiccatum ''Chenopodium desiccatum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae known by the common names aridland goosefoot and slimleaf goosefoot. It is native to parts of western North America, including sections of the Western United ...

'' – narrowleaf goosefoot * '' Chenopodium detestans'' – New Zealand fish-guts plant * '' Chenopodium drummondii'' (Syn.: ''Rhagodia drummondii'') * '' Chenopodium eastwoodiae'' – Eastwood's goosefoot * '' Chenopodium eremaea'' (Syn.: ''Rhagodia eremaea'') * '' Chenopodium erosum'' R.Br. * '' Chenopodium ficifolium'' – fig-leaved goosefoot, small goosefoot * ''

Chenopodium flabellifolium ''Chenopodium'' is a genus of numerous species of perennial or annual herbaceous flowering plants known as the goosefoots, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family Amaranthaceae in the APG II system; older classific ...

'' – San Martin Island goosefoot, flabelliform goosefoot * ''

Chenopodium foggii ''Chenopodium'' is a genus of numerous species of perennial or annual herbaceous flowering plants known as the goosefoots, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family Amaranthaceae in the APG II system; older classific ...

'' – Fogg's goosefoot * '' Chenopodium formosanum'' – red quinoa, djulis * '' Chenopodium fremontii'' – Fremont's goosefoot * '' Chenopodium giganteum'' D.Don – tree spinach * '' Chenopodium gigantospermum'' * ''

Chenopodium hians ''Chenopodium hians'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae known by the common names hians goosefoot and gaping goosefoot. The Latin species name ''hians'' means "gaping". Distribution It is native to much of the western ...

'' * ''

Chenopodium howellii ''Chenopodium'' is a genus of numerous species of perennial or annual plant, annual herbaceous flowering plants known as the goosefoots, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family (biology), family Amaranthaceae in the ...

'' – Howell's goosefoot * ''

Chenopodium iljinii ''Chenopodium'' is a genus of numerous species of perennial or annual herbaceous flowering plants known as the goosefoots, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family Amaranthaceae in the APG II system; older classifica ...

'' * '' Chenopodium incanum'' – mealy goosefoot * '' Chenopodium incognitum'' * '' Chenopodium lenticulare'' * ''

Chenopodium leptophyllum ''Chenopodium leptophyllum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae known by the common name narrowleaf goosefoot. It is native to much of western North America, where it is reported from Alaska to Texas and northern Mexico, ...

'' – narrowleaf goosefoot * '' Chenopodium lineatum'' – Mono goosefoot * '' Chenopodium littoreum'' – coastal goosefoot * ''

Chenopodium luteum ''Chenopodium'' is a genus of numerous species of perennial or annual herbaceous flowering plants known as the goosefoots, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family Amaranthaceae in the APG II system; older classific ...

'' – yellow goosefoot * '' Chenopodium missouriense'' – Missouri goosefoot (sometimes considered a

variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

of ''C. album'') * '' Chenopodium neomexicanum'' – New Mexico goosefoot * '' Chenopodium nevadense'' – Nevada goosefoot * '' Chenopodium nitrariaceum'' (F.Muell.) F.Muell. ex Benth. – nitre goosefoot * '' Chenopodium nitens'' – shiny goosefoot * ''

Chenopodium nutans ''Chenopodium nutans'' (Syn ''Einadia nutans,'' ''Rhagodia nutans''), known by its common name of climbing saltbush or nodding saltbush, is a climbing groundcover native to Australia. Plants form a blanket on the surface, climbing over logs an ...

'' (Syn.: ''Rhagodia nutans'') * '' Chenopodium nuttalliae'' – huauzontle, chia roja, quelite * ''

Chenopodium oahuense ''Chenopodium oahuense'' is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family known by the common names ''aweoweo'', ''alaweo'', ''alaweo huna'', ''aheahea'', ''ahea'', ''ahewahewa'', and ''kahaihai''.Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

) * '' Chenopodium obscurum'' * '' Chenopodium opulifolium'' Schrad. ex W.D.J.Koch – grey goosefoot * '' Chenopodium pallescens'' – pallid goosefoot * ''

Chenopodium pallidicaule ''Chenopodium pallidicaule'', known as ''cañihua'', ''canihua'' or ''cañahua'' (from Quechua ''qañiwa, qañawa or qañawi'') and also kaniwa, is a species of goosefoot, similar in character and uses to the closely related ''quinoa'' ''(Chenop ...

'' – ''kañiwa'', "cañahua" * ''

Chenopodium palmeri ''Chenopodium'' is a genus of numerous species of perennial or annual herbaceous flowering plants known as the goosefoots, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family Amaranthaceae in the APG II system; older classifica ...

'' – Palmer's goosefoot * '' Chenopodium pamiricum'' * ''

Chenopodium parabolicum ''Chenopodium parabolicum'' (Syn. ''Rhagodia parabolica''), commonly known as fragrant saltbush or mealy saltbush, is a shrub in the family Amaranthaceae. The species is native to Australia. The species was formally described in 1810 in ''Prodr ...

'' (Syn.: ''Rhagodia parabolica'') * '' Chenopodium parryi'' – Parry's goosefoot * '' Chenopodium petiolare'' * ''

Chenopodium polygonoides ''Chenopodium'' is a genus of numerous species of perennial or annual herbaceous flowering plants known as the goosefoots, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family Amaranthaceae in the APG II system; older classific ...

'' * ''

Chenopodium pratericola ''Chenopodium pratericola'' is a species of flowering plant in the Chenopodium, goosefoot family known by the common name desert goosefoot. It is native to much of western and central North America, where it grows in many types of open habitat, s ...

'' Rydb. – pale goosefoot, desert goosefoot, narrowleaf goosefoot * '' Chenopodium preissii'' (Syn. ''Rhagodia preissii'') * '' Chenopodium probstii'' Aellen * '' Chenopodium purpurascens'' – purple goosefoot * ''

Chenopodium quinoa Quinoa (''Chenopodium quinoa''; , from Quechua ' or ') is a flowering plant in the amaranth family. It is a herbaceous annual plant grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds; the seeds are rich in protein, dietary fiber, B vitamins, and ...

'' – quinoa * '' Chenopodium retusum'' * ''

Chenopodium robertianum ''Chenopodium robertianum'' (Syn. ''Einadia hastata,'' ''Rhagodia hastata''), known by the common name of saloop or berry saltbush is a small plant in the family Amaranthaceae. This species is found in coastal and inland areas of eastern Austra ...

'' (Syn.: ''Rhagodia hastata'') * '' Chenopodium salinum'' – Rocky Mountain goosefoot * ''

Chenopodium sandersii ''Chenopodium'' is a genus of numerous species of perennial or annual herbaceous flowering plants known as the goosefoots, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family Amaranthaceae in the APG II system; older classific ...

'' – Sander's goosefoot * '' Chenopodium simpsonii'' – Simpson's goosefoot * '' Chenopodium sonorense'' – Sonoran goosefoot * '' Chenopodium spinescens'' (Syn. ''Rhagodia spinescens'') * ''

Chenopodium standleyanum ''Chenopodium'' is a genus of numerous species of perennial or annual herbaceous flowering plants known as the goosefoots, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family Amaranthaceae in the APG II system; older classific ...

'' – Standley's goosefoot * '' Chenopodium strictum'' Roth * ''

Chenopodium subglabrum ''Chenopodium'' is a genus of numerous species of perennial or annual herbaceous flowering plants known as the goosefoots, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family Amaranthaceae in the APG II system; older classifi ...

'' – smooth arid goosefoot, smooth goosefoot * '' Chenopodium suecicum'' – green goosefoot * '' Chenopodium triandrum'' (Syn.: ''Rhagodia triandra'') * '' Chenopodium trigonon'' (Syn.: ''Einadia trigonos'') * '' Chenopodium truncatum'' * '' Chenopodium twisselmannii'' – Twisselmann's goosefoot, high meadow goosefoot * ''

Chenopodium ulicinum ''Chenopodium'' is a genus of numerous species of perennial or annual herbaceous flowering plants known as the goosefoots, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family Amaranthaceae in the APG II system; older classific ...

'' * ''

Chenopodium × variabile ''Chenopodium'' is a genus of numerous species of perennial or annual herbaceous flowering plants known as the goosefoots, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family Amaranthaceae in the APG II system; older classific ...

'' (''C. album × C. berlandieri'') * ''

Chenopodium vulvaria ''Chenopodium vulvaria'', the stinking goosefoot or notchweed, is a foul-smelling plant or weed. The plant is a member of the genus ''Chenopodium'', the goosefoots. Distribution Its native distribution is practically pan-European and extends eas ...

'' – stinking goosefoot, notchweed * '' Chenopodium wahlii'' – Wahl's goosefoot * ''

Chenopodium watsonii ''Chenopodium'' is a genus of numerous species of perennial or annual herbaceous flowering plants known as the goosefoots, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family Amaranthaceae in the APG II system; older classific ...

'' – Watson's goosefoot * '' Chenopodium wilsonii'' (Syn.: ''Rhagodia crassifolia'')

Excluded species

* ''

'' (12 species): ** '' Blitum bonus-henricus'' – Good King Henry, perennial goosefoot, poor-man's asparagus, Lincolnshire spinach, markery ** '' Blitum californicum'' – California goosefoot, Indian lettuce ** ''

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 ...

'' – strawberry blite, blite goosefoot, strawberry goosefoot, strawberry spinach, Indian paint, Indian ink ** '' Blitum virgatum'' (Syn. ''Chenopodium foliosum'') – leafy goosefoot * '' Chenopodiastrum'' (5 species): ** ''

Chenopodiastrum murale ''Chenopodiastrum murale'', (Syn. ''Chenopodium murale'') is a species of plant in the family Amaranthaceae known by the common names nettle-leaved goosefoot, Australian-spinach, salt-green, and sowbane. This plant is native to Europe and parts o ...

'' – nettle-leaved goosefoot ** ''

Chenopodiastrum simplex ''Chenopodiastrum'' is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Amaranthaceae. The genus was formally described in 2012. The 5 species occur in Eurasia, North Africa, and North America. Description The species in genus ''Chenopod ...

'' – giantseed goosefoot * '' Dysphania'' (about 43 glandular species, as ''C. botrys, C. carinatum, C. cristatum, C. melanocarpum, C. multifidium, C. pumilio'' and more) * ''

'' (one species): ** ''Lipandra polysperma'' – many-seeded goosefoot * ''

'' (5 species): ** '' Oxybasis chenopodioides'' – small red goosefoot, saltmarsh goosefoot ** ''

Oxybasis glauca ''Oxybasis glauca'' (syn. ''Chenopodium glaucum''), common name oak-leaved goosefoot, is a species of goosefoot plant native to Europe. It has been introduced and become an invasive weed in North America. This invader of European origin also appe ...

'' – oak-leaved goosefoot ** '' Oxybasis rubra'' – red goosefoot, coastblite goosefoot ** ''

Oxybasis urbica ''Oxybasis urbica'' is a species of flowering plant belonging to the family Amaranthaceae. Its native range is Europe to Russian Far East The Russian Far East (russian: Дальний Восток России, r=Dal'niy Vostok Rossii, p=� ...

'' – upright goosefoot * '' Teloxys'' (one species): ** ''Teloxys aristata'' * '' Suaeda australis'' – austral seablite (as ''C. australe, C. insulare'')

Fossil record

†''Chenopodium wetzleri'' fossil seeds of the Chattian stage, Oligocene, are known from the Oberleichtersbach Formation in the Rhön Mountains, central

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

.The floral change in the tertiary of the Rhön mountains (Germany) by Dieter Hans Mai - Acta Paleobotanica 47(1): 135-143, 2007.

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.'' Vol. 42, No. 1, 2012, p. 5-24. Gelin Zhu, Sergei L. Mosyakin & Steven E. Clemants
''Chenopodium'' - In: Wu Zhengyi, Peter H. Raven, Deyuan Hong (Hrsg.): Flora of China.
Volume 5: Ulmaceae through Basellaceae. Science Press/Missouri Botanical Garden Press, Beijing/St. Louis 2003, , p. 378-.

Description

Uses and human importance

Ecology

Systematics

Selected species

Excluded species

Fossil record

References

Further reading