4. Chenopodium glaucum Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 220. 1753; Boiss., Fl. Or. 4: 903. 1879. Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 5: 4. 1886; Iljin & Aellen in Kom., Fl. URSS 6: 52. 1936; Grubov, Pl. As. Centr. 2: 21. 1966; R.R.Stewart, Ann. Cat. Vasc. Pl. W. Pak. & Kashm., 221. 1972; Kung & Chu in Kung & Tsien, Fl. Reip. Pop. Sin. 25(2): 84. 1979; Uotila in Davis, Fl. Turkey 10: 90. 1988; Mandaville, Fl. E Saudi Arabia: 75. 1990; Boulos in Miller & Cope, Fl. Arab. Penins. & Socotra 1: 240. 1996; Uotila in Rech. f., Fl. Iran. 172: 35. 1997; Al-Turki & A.Ghafoor in Feddes Repert. 107: 196. 1996; Chaudhary, Fl. Kingd. Saudi Arabia 1: 162. 1999. (Fig.2, E-G).
Annual, 5-20(-50) cm, almost glabrous except for the leaves beneath; usually erect to ascending, sometimes procumbent, often much branched especially in basal parts. Leaves somewhat fleshy; blade (0.5-)1-3(-4.5) cm, usually elliptic to ovate, sometimes narrowly elliptic, lanceolate or fairly broadly ovate, mostly coarsely sinuate-serrate to sinuate, sometimes subentire or slightly 3-lobed, usually ± obtuse at apex, variously attenuate at base, green and glabrescent above, glaucous - whitish and densely mealy below except for main veins, sometimes red especially on margins; bracts ± narrowly elliptic, dentate to seldom entire. Inflorescence mostly leafy, axillary and terminal; composed of small, dense glomerules arranged spicately or paniculately. Flowers dimorphic, terminal flowers bisexual, with 3-5 perianth segments and 1-5 stamens; lateral flowers mostly female, with 3 perianth segments and 0 or 1 stamen. Perianth segments free to base, glabrous, obovate, margin broadly membranous, apex ± truncate, back green, swollen in apical part. Stigmas 2, short. Fruits falling with perianth. Pericarp thin, greenish and free or almost so. Seeds vertical in the lateral flowers, horizontal in the terminal ones, reddish to dark brown, 0.9-1.0 mm long, roundish-ovoid, margin rounded; testa sometimes with reticulate striations especially in central parts, minutely pitted.
Fl. & Fr. Per.: July-August.
Lectotype: ‘Habitat ad Europae fimeta’, Herb. Linn. No. 313/17 (LINN!). Uotila in Ann. Bot. Fennici 30: 190. 1993.
Gardens, roadsides, lake shores. 1800-2500 m; Distribution: Europe, except for northernmost and westernmost parts; rare in the Mediterranean and Gulf of Persia area; C and E Asia; introduced in N America and Australia; other races and allied species are in western North America, southern Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Chenopodium glaucum seems to be fairly uniform in our area: it is an erect plant, the leaves are relatively long, coarsely and fairly acutely dentate, and the inflorescence is predominantly terminal and has a spicate appearance.
