Hoary goosefoot

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Hoary goosefoot

Hoary goosefoot

Morphology

Stem

Spreading to erect, simple or branched from base, covered with a mealy powder.

Leaves

Cauline, alternate; petiole .2 to .4 inch; blade broadly triangular to ovate, .4 to 1 inch long, .2 to .6 inch wide, 3-veined from base, base cuneate to truncate, margins usually with 2 basal teeth, apex obtuse to acute, surfaces covered with a mealy powder.

Inflorescence

Small, dense, head-like clusters of minute flowers in terminal and axillary panicles.

Flower

Tepals 5, distinct nearly to base, lobes ovate, ca. .04 inch, sometimes keeled along midvein at maturity, completely covering fruit at maturity; stamens 5; styles 2; stigmas 2.

Fruit

Utricles, ovoid; pericarp nonadherent, smooth. Seeds black, lenticular, .04 to .05 inch wide.

Ecology

Habitat

Shortgrass prairies

Distribution

Principally the west half of Kansas

Practical Information

Uses

Native Americans in the Southwest cooked the young sprouts and leaves as greens and ground the seeds for food (Moerman 1998).

Additional Notes