Blitum nuttallianum
poverty weed
Chenopodiaceae
Introduction to Vascular Plants
poverty weed
Chenopodiaceae
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Annual herb from a taproot; stems prostrate to ascending, few to much branched, more or less whitish-mealy, 10-30 cm tall/long.
Leaves:
Stem leaves alternate, rather succulent, gradually reduced upward to leafy bracts, stalks slender, up to 3 cm long, gradually broadened into an arrowhead-shape, basal lateral lobes spreading, 1-4 mm long.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of dense stalkless, axillary clusters, reddish; sepals 1.5-2.5 mm long, oblong to spoon-shaped, more or less abruptly short-pointed.
Fruits:
Thin, pitted, membranous envelopes attached to the seeds; seeds 0.9-1.3 mm wide, dark brown.
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Habitat and Range
Dry roadsides, waste places, and saline and alkaline flats in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; infrequent in SC and SE BC, rare in SW and NE BC; introduced from the U.S.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Blitum nuttalliana (Schult.) Greene