15. Chenopodium ambrosioides Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 219. 1753; Boiss., Fl. Or. 4: 904. 1879; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 5: 4. 1886; Iljin & Aellen in Kom., Fl. URSS 6: 45. 1936; Brenan in Milne-Redhead & Turrill, Fl. Trop. E Afr., Chenopodiaceae: 10. 1954; R.R.Stewart, Ann. Cat. Vasc. Pl. W. Pak. & Kashmir: 220. 1972; Bhopal & Chaudhri in Pak. Syst. 1: 43. 1977; Kung & Chu in Kung & Tsien, Fl. Reip. Pop. Sin. 25, 2: 82. 1979; Mullin in Hara et al., Fl. Pl. Nepal 3: 170. 1982; Uotila in Davis, Fl. Turkey 10: 89. 1988; Uotila in Rech. f., Fl. Iran. 172: 54. 1997; Chaudhary, Fl. Kingd. Saudi Arabia 1: 161. 1999. (Fig.7, A-D).
Ambrina ambrosioides Spach in Hist. Nat. Veg. 4: 297. 1836; Chenopodium integrifolium Vorosch., Bot. Zhurn. 27: 42. 1942; Chenopodium suffruticosum Willd., Enum. Pl. Hort. Berol.: 290. 1809.
Strongly aromatic, annual to short-lived perennial, variously pubescent especially on stem, and with sessile yellow glands especially on lower leaf surfaces. Stem to 80(-120) cm, ± erect, branches long, ascending. Leaves with 1 cm long petiole; blade 5-10 cm, lanceolate to elliptic, irregularly coarsely serrate, sometimes shallowly sinuate to almost entire, attenuate at base, acute to obtuse at apex; bracts entire, linear - lanceolate - narrowly obovate, uppermost very small. Inflorescence paniculate, flowers sessile in small, dense glomerules usually subtended by bracts and arranged spicately. Terminal flowers bisexual, perianth deeply 5-lobed, lobes cucullate, stamens usually 5; lateral flowers female, perianth connate, 5-toothed; teeth roundish on back; perianth herbacous, glabrous to sparsely pubescent. Stigmas usually 3-4, long, slender. Fruits falling with perianth. Pericarp free. Seeds mostly horizontal, sometimes oblique or vertical, brown, 0.6-0.8 mm in diameter, somewhat ovate to circular in outline, margin obtuse; testa almost smooth, sometimes with obscure shallow pits.
Fl. & Fr. Per.: April - January.
Type: ‘Habitat in Mexico, Lusitania’, Herb. Linn. no. 313/13 (LINN!). Brenan in Milne-Redhead & Turrill, Fl. Trop. E Afr. Chenopodiaceae: 10.1954.
Field margins, gardens, yards, roadsides, stream sides.- s.l. 1430 m; Distribution: Probably originating from tropical America. Earlier cultivated as medicinal plant and introduced in tropical and subtropical areas of the world, where it is commonly naturalized.
