Chenopodium virgatum Thunberg, Nova Acta Regiae Soc. Sci. Upsal. 7: 143. 1815, not (Linnaeus) Ambrosi (1857); C. vachelii Hooker & Arnott.

Leaf blade narrowly ovate, lanceolate, or oblong, obviously longer than wide.

This predominantly littoral and alluvial taxon is certainly of Sino-Japanese distribution and is sometimes treated as a separate species (Chenopodium virgatum or C. vachelii). However, there was much controversy regarding the taxonomic affiliation of C. virgatum: some authors believed that the name refers to narrow-leaved forms of the C. album aggregate or to C. strictum.

Judging from the presence of characteristic multicellular hairs (especially in the inflorescence) and leaf and inflorescence morphology, C. acuminatum s.l. (C. sect. Acuminata Ignatov) is related to the Asian perennial C. fruticosum C. A. Meyer, the Australian shrubby C. auricomum Lindley (the latter, together with the annual C. auricomiforme Murr, is placed in C. sect. Auricoma Aellen), and probably to some other shrubby species.

Lake shores, beaches, wastelands. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hebei, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Taiwan, Zhejiang [Japan, NE Vietnam].