Scientific Family
Chenopodiaceae
Synonyms
Chenopodium aridum, Chenopodium wolfii
Other common names
Fremont goosefoot
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Annual
Height
2 to 3 feet
Riparian
Yes
Powdery in texture, especially on the leaves and flowers. The leaves oval to triangular, generally with a few lobes. Flower heads are spikes of several ball-like clusters of tightly-packed tiny flowers. Sepals and petals enclose the developing fruit.
Erect annual, simple below, slender branches above, sparsely covered with meal-like powder; inconspicuous flowers, green, and clustered; calyx covered extensively with meal-like powder; seeds mature before flowers in same cluster bloom.
Habitat
Wide variety of habitats from desert, cliffs, rocky slopes, and moist shaded areas under aspen, junipers, or pinyons, often in riparian habitats.
Plant Community
Riparian
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Montane Conifer Forest
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Disturbed Areas
Desert Scrub
Low elevation
2500
High elevation
9000
Flower Characteristics
Flowers inconspicuous, green, clustered; clusters arranged with seedhead at the tip and beneath the stem, 6 to 8 inches long; 5 petals and 5 sepals completely cover the fruit.
Flower color
Green
Flower shape
Inconspicuous
Tubular
No
First bloom month
June
Last bloom month
September
Flower clusters
Elongated
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Leaves stemmed, alternate, non-aromatic; leafstalk to 3/4 inch; blades oval to triangular, mealy below, without hairs above, slightly longer than wide, upper portion smooth and a pair of teeth or lobes at the base, the lower leaves 3-veined.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Triangular
Leaf margin
Smooth
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves & stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Small oval utricles (thin bladder-like seed vessel), outer wall warty-smooth.
Fruit type
Other
Fruit color
Reddish-brown to black
Round, 1/16 inch diameter; seed coat dark reddish-brown to black (sometimes with light streaks), smooth.