Goosefoots, Oraches & Allies
Amaranth Family - Amaranthaceae
Sea Beet Beta vulgaris subsp. maritimaNative from Macaronesia, through western and southern Europe to North Africa and India. In coastal habitats.
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Sticky Goosefoot Dysphania botrys
Native throughout the Mediterranean Region and eastwards to the Arabian Peninsula, western Asia and the Himalayas.
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Mexican-tea Dysphania ambrosioides
Native to southern North America, southwards to South America, but widely introduced into the Old World. Has an oddly 'bleachy' smell to the leaves.
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Many-seeded Goosefoot Lipandra polysperma
Native to the whole of Europe and the Mediterranean Region, eastwards into Siberia. A distinctive species that has reddish bases to the flowers, which blacken as the seeds develop. There is typically an obvious reddish margin to the untoothed leaves.
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Nettle-leaved Goosefoot Chenopodiastrum murale
Native throughout most of Europe and the Mediterranean Basin, southward into East Africa and India. Leaves are coarsely edged with pointed teeth and differ from Fat-hen by being noticeably shiny. Leaves relatively large and broad, with teeth of more or less equal size along the margins.
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Stinking Goosefoot Chenopodium vulvaria
Native throughout most of Europe and the Mediterranean Basin, eastward into the Arabian Peninsula and Pakistan. A creeping plant, often only reaching a few centimetres in height or spread but sometimes to 30cm. The whole plant is covered in a grey mealiness and can feel clammy to the touch. The smell of the plant is often likened to rotting fish, though to me it is reminiscent of the distinctive smell of bicycle inner tubes!
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Grey Goosefoot Chenopodium opulifolium
Native throughout most of Europe and the Mediterranean Basin, eastwards into wetsern Asia and Iran and southward through East Africa. Whole plant overall dull grey-green with relatively small leaves that are often barely longer than wide.
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Fat-hen Chenopodium album
Native throughout much of the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere and widely introduced elsewhere. Overwhelmingly the commonest goosefoot and a yardstick to compare other species to. A highly variable plant which may be low-growing (some flowering when just a few cms tall) to over three metres tall if growing on enriched soil such as muck heaps. Leaves very variable but usually narrowly spear-shaped, becoming linear towards the flowering spikes. Features that help to tell it from similar species include the rather long, upright flower spikes without leafy bracts, the blunt-toothed leaves and the fine teeth on the tepal margins (hand lens).
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Tree Spinach Chenopodium giganteum
Native to eastern Asia. Grown as a food plant and occasionally found as an escape from cultivation. Leaves very like those of Fat-hen but larger and more strongly toothed. Plants may grow to around 180-200cm in height but are often much less. Young growths are flushed pinkish-purple and the leaves typically grow to at least 14cm in length, with even small plants having leaves of at least 6cm in length. Flower spikes tend to be more branched and more narrowly fingered than those of Quinoa.
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Tatarian Orache Atriplex tatarica
Native throughout the Mediterranean Region and eastwards to northern and western Asia.
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Spear-leaved Orache Atriplex prostrata
Native throughout Europe and the Meditteranean Region to North-west and Central Asia, North-east Africa and North-eastern North America. In coastal habitats and as a weed of cultivation.
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Common Sea-purslane Atriplex portulacoides
Native from the Canary Islands to the Atlantic coasts of Europe and the Mediterranean Region. In saltmarshes.
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