E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Bassia hyssopifolia (Pall.) Kuntz
five-hooked bassia (fivehorn smotherweed)
Amaranthaceae (Amaranth family)
(Previously in Chenopodiaceae)

Introduction to Vascular Plants
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Distribution of Bassia hyssopifolia
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Species Information

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General:
Annual herb; stems erect, simple to freely branched, 15-60 cm tall, woolly-hairy, often reddish-tinged.
Leaves:
Stem leaves alternate, entire, linear or narrowly lanceolate, 1-4 cm long, without stalks, soft- to woolly-hairy, especially when plants are in flower.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of densely clustered terminal and lateral spikes, with smaller axillary spikes below, greenish; bracts reduced.
Fruits:
Membranous bladders flattened, 2 mm broad with curved, strongly hooked spines; seeds horizontal, flattened.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

USDA Species Characteristics

Flower Colour:
Green
Blooming Period:
Early Summer
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Black
Present over the Summer
Source:  The USDA

Habitat / Range

Dry alkaline flats, roadsides and waste places in the steppe and montane zones; infrequent in SC and SE BC; introduced from Eurasia.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Bassia hyssopifolia

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
Site Information
 Value / Class

Minimum

Average

Maximum
Elevation (metres) 512 516 519
Slope Gradient (%) 4 7 10
Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W] 		8 355 332
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric] 		5 6 7
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class		 F
Number of field plots
 species was recorded in:		 3
Modal BEC Zone Class
 IDF
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in: IDF(3)

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Echinopsilon hyssopifolius (Pall.) Moq.
Kochia hyssopifolia (Pall.) Schrad.

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Flora North America treatment for Amaranthaceae
Flora North America treatment for Chenopodiaceae (Previous Family)
 Flora North America treatment for Bassia hyssopifolia
Genetic information (NCBI Taxonomy Database)
 International Plant Names Index
 Taxonomic Information from the World Flora Online
 Integrated Taxonomic Information System

Additional Photo Sources

Images From CalPhoto
UT Austin's Native Plant Database
 Google Image Search
 Flickr Image Search

General References

Google Scholar Search
Family References
 General Botanical References for BC
Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2020. E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 2024-09-30 11:18:39 AM ]
Disclaimer: The information contained in the E-Flora atlas pages is derived from expert sources as cited in each section. This information is scientifically based. E-Flora also acts as a portal to other sites via deep links. As always, users should refer to the original sources for complete information. E-Flora BC is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of the original information.
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