Code
CHEAL
Growth form
Broadleaf
Biological cycle
Annual
Habitat
Terrestrial
synonym | Anserina candidans (Lam.) Montandon |
synonym | Atriplex alba (L.) Crantz |
synonym | Atriplex viridis (L.) Crantz |
synonym | Blitum viride (L.) Moench |
synonym | Botrys alba (L.) Nieuwl. |
synonym | Botrys alba var. pauper Lunell |
synonym | Botrys pagana (Rchb.) Lunell |
synonym | Chenopodium × borbasioides f. hircinifolium (Aellen) Hyl. |
synonym | Chenopodium × densifoliatum (Ludw. & Aellen) F.Dvořák |
synonym | Chenopodium agreste E.H.L.Krause |
synonym | Chenopodium album f. dubium Arlt & Jüttersonke |
synonym | Chenopodium album f. glomerulosum (Rchb.) Aellen |
synonym | Chenopodium album f. heterophyllum Wang-Wei & P.Y.Fu |
synonym | Chenopodium album f. lanceolatum (Muhl. ex Willd.) Schinz & Thell. |
synonym | Chenopodium album f. leiospermum Kuntze |
synonym | Chenopodium album f. opuliforme Aellen |
synonym | Chenopodium album f. ovalifolium Aellen |
synonym | Chenopodium album f. paucidentatum Aellen |
synonym | Chenopodium album f. pseudozschackei Aellen |
synonym | Chenopodium album f. subhastatum Issler ex Murr |
synonym | Chenopodium album subsp. bernburgense Murr |
synonym | Chenopodium album subsp. collinsii Murr |
synonym | Chenopodium album subsp. densifoliatum Ludw. & Aellen |
synonym | Chenopodium album subsp. hastatum (C. Klinggr.) Graebn. |
synonym | Chenopodium album subsp. pedunculare (Bertol.) Murr |
synonym | Chenopodium album subsp. pseudopulifolium (Scholz) Murray |
synonym | Chenopodium album subsp. reticulatum (Aellen) Greuter & Burdet |
synonym | Chenopodium album subsp. subficifolium Murr |
synonym | Chenopodium album var. album |
synonym | Chenopodium album var. candicans Moq. |
synonym | Chenopodium album var. coronatum Beauge |
synonym | Chenopodium album var. cymigerum W. D. J. Koch |
synonym | Chenopodium album var. cymigerum W.D.J.Koch |
synonym | Chenopodium album var. dacoticum Aellen |
synonym | Chenopodium album var. desertorum Kuntze |
synonym | Chenopodium album var. laxiflorum Wang-Wei & P.Y.Fu |
synonym | Chenopodium album var. missouriense (Aellen) Bassett & Crompton |
synonym | Chenopodium album var. paganum (Rchb.) Syme |
synonym | Chenopodium album var. polymorphum Aellen |
synonym | Chenopodium album var. spicatum W.D.J.Koch |
synonym | Chenopodium album var. stevensii Aellen |
synonym | Chenopodium album var. subaphyllum (Phil.) Reiche |
synonym | Chenopodium album var. viride (L.) Pursh |
synonym | Chenopodium bernburgense (Murr) Druce |
synonym | Chenopodium bicolor Bojer ex Moq. |
synonym | Chenopodium borbasiforme (Murr) Druce |
synonym | Chenopodium borbasii F.Murr |
synonym | Chenopodium browneanum Schult. |
synonym | Chenopodium candicans Lam. |
synonym | Chenopodium catenulatum Schleich. ex Steud. |
synonym | Chenopodium concatenatum Willd. |
synonym | Chenopodium diversifolium var. montuosum F.Dvořák |
synonym | Chenopodium elatum Shuttlew. ex Moq. |
synonym | Chenopodium glomerulosum Rchb. |
synonym | Chenopodium laciniatum Roxb. |
synonym | Chenopodium lanceolatum f. opizii F.Dvořák |
synonym | Chenopodium lanceolatum f. sessiliflorum F.Dvořák |
synonym | Chenopodium lanceolatum Muhl. ex Willd. |
synonym | Chenopodium lanceolatum var. antiquitum F.Dvořák |
synonym | Chenopodium leiospermum DC. |
synonym | Chenopodium lobatum (Prodán) F.Dvořák |
synonym | Chenopodium lobodontum H. Scholz |
synonym | Chenopodium missouriense Aellen |
synonym | Chenopodium missouriense var. bushianum Aellen |
synonym | Chenopodium neglectum Dumort. |
synonym | Chenopodium neoalbum F.Dvořák |
synonym | Chenopodium opulaceum Neck. |
synonym | Chenopodium ovalifolium (Aellen) F.Dvořák |
synonym | Chenopodium paganum Rchb. |
synonym | Chenopodium paucidentatum (Aellen) F.Dvořák |
synonym | Chenopodium pedunculare Bertol. |
synonym | Chenopodium probstii Aellen |
synonym | Chenopodium probstii f. lanceolatum Aellen |
synonym | Chenopodium probstii f. parvoangustifolium Aellen |
synonym | Chenopodium pseudoborbasii f. aellenii F.Dvořák |
synonym | Chenopodium pseudoborbasii f. albiforme F.Dvořák |
synonym | Chenopodium pseudoborbasii f. borbasiiforme F.Dvořák |
synonym | Chenopodium pseudoborbasii f. longipedicellatum F.Dvořák |
synonym | Chenopodium pseudoborbasii f. ramosum F.Dvořák |
synonym | Chenopodium reticulatum Aellen |
synonym | Chenopodium riparium Boenn. ex Moq. |
synonym | Chenopodium serotinum Ledeb. [Illegitimate] |
synonym | Chenopodium subaphyllum Phil. |
synonym | Chenopodium subficifolium (Murr) Druce |
synonym | Chenopodium subhastatum (Issler ex Murr) F. Dvorák |
synonym | Chenopodium superalbum f. kuehnii F.Dvořák |
synonym | Chenopodium superalbum F.Dvořák |
synonym | Chenopodium viride L. |
synonym | Chenopodium viridescens (St.-Amans) Dalla Torre & Sarnth. |
synonym | Chenopodium vulgare Gueldenst. ex Ledeb. |
synonym | Chenopodium vulpinum Buch.-Ham. [Invalid] |
synonym | Chenopodium zobelii f. hircinifolium Aellen |
synonym | Chenopodium zobelii f. multidentatum Aellen |
synonym | Chenopodium zobelii Murr ex Asch. & Graebn. [Invalid] |
synonym | Chenopodium zobelli A. Ludw. & Aellen |
synonym | Vulvaria albescens Bubani |
Afrikaans |
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Créole Maurice |
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Créole Réunion |
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Chenopodium album is an annual, erect, pale green weed with strong smell. It is one of the most widely distributed species of weeds in the world and is one of the most successful colonizers of new areas. In prehistoric times the seeds were harvested and stored for human consumption. The plant is usually light green because it may have a waxy bloom or a white mealy pubescence. Its name album (whitish) refers to this character. The ridge stem, when growing in the open, it may be tinged with red or purple. It has a strong tap root system. The leaves much longer than broad with several shallow lobes are variable in shape; they are used as green vegetable. The flowers are aggregated into dense clusters (glomerules) in leaf axils and at terminus of stems and branches. The fruits are not visible; they are entirely enclosed in the floral envelope.
Cotyledons (precociously deciduous), 10 to 15mm long and 2 to 3mm broad, fleshy, elliptic-stretched, shortly petiolated. Under side often red-violet, upper side green or mealy.
First leaves ovate-stretched, with entire margin more or less opposite and the following leaves with alternate attachment. Presence of white waxy granules on young leaves.
Annual herb, first with white mealy pubescence, and pale green later, growing from 10 to 100cm, frequently very ramified.
Tap root system growing deep in the soil and ramified.
Erect, cylindrical, angular with prominent ridges, smooth, branched, often tinged with red or ribbed or striped with pink, purple or yellow.
Simple, alternate, ovate, lanceolate to rhomboid, irregularly dentated, rarely entire, with long petiole and without stipules. The leaves size varies from 1.5 to 8cm in length and 3cm broad; greyish green and mealy below, but sometimes the two sides of the lamina are green.
A spiked panicle in leaf axils and at terminus of stems and branches, with small dense flower clusters crowded on branches.
Flowers green, small, sessile in irregular spikes, without petals. Sepals five keeled and nearly covering the mature fruit. Stamens five, pistil one, with two or three styles, ovary one-celled.
Utricle with a glabrous and mealy pericarp with only one seed.
Lens-shaped with marginal notch, black, glossy 0.7 to 2mm in diameter.
Attributions | dummy |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY_SA |
References |
Algeria: Chenopodium album germinates at the end of winter and throughout spring; flowering takes place from April to November.
China: Chenopodium album flowers and fruits from May to October.
Madagascar: C. album flowers before most annual crops, as early as February.
Morocco: Chenopodium album flowers and fruits from March to September and all year round in irrigated crops.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Chenopodium album is an annual species, always propagated from seeds. Each plant produces about 30 to 40 000 seeds, but large plants may produce 500 000 seeds. The seeds may be dispersed by birds, or transported by the water. Seeds have been known to survive from 30 to 40 years in soil. Only the seeds in superficial layers of the soil are able to germinate. There are two types of seeds, some with hard envelope and dormant, and others with a supple envelope that can germinate immediately.
Attributions | dummy |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY_SA |
References |
Chenopodium album | Dysphania ambrosoides | |
Stem | cylindrical to angular | cylindrical |
Leaf (shape of leaf blade) | generally oval to obovate | generally elliptical, acute at the top, attenuated in acute corner at the base |
Leaf (petiole) | long | short |
Leaf (color) | glaucous green on the upper side; chalky white below |
bright green on the upper side |
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Algeria: Chenopodium album is a very common species in the various annual (especially summer irrigation vegetables) and perennial (especially vineyards) crops in the north of the country.
It is a species with late spring germination growing in silty and sandy loamy soils, humid and rich in fertilizing elements. Meso-xerophilic, the plant adapts its morphology to the quality of the soil: small, thin and not very prolific on thin, dry soil; large, branched and very prolific on rich, cool soil.
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
The plant is found from sea level to 3 600 meters and from lat 70°N to more than lat 50°S. It prefers light textured and well-drained soils but it is able to adapt to all inhabited areas of the world except in extreme desert climates.
Brazil: Chenopodium album is a very common crop weed.
Madagascar: C. album is a weed and ruderal species, nitrophilous, encountered in most climatic regions of Madagascar. It grows in proximity to cultivated areas near villages, on roadsides or in abandoned places and sometimes in sandy soil more or less salty in coastal areas. It is a weed of maize cultivation, vegetable cultivation, beans, semi-intensive with added organic fertilizer. It is present in all agro-climatic zones of Madagascar but particularly in volcanic areas on the uplands.
Mauritius: Species present but very rare in cultivation, on unoccupied lands and roadsides.
Morocco: Chenopodium album is a nitrophilous species found in crops, gardens, rubble and ruderalized fresh pastures, including in oases.
Reunion: C. Album occurs only at high altitude in Reunion Island, and mainly in Cilaos in the lens and Plaine des cafres and Plaine des Grègues in gardening rather above 600 m. The species prefers light well drained soil but is adaptable to any soil provided it is fertile. It is a ruderal species that likes rich soil.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY_SA |
References |
Toxicity
Chenopodium album is a plant potentially toxic to ruminants when conditions allow it to accumulate nitrates, caution should be exercised when using poorly weeded forage crops.
Raw seeds are poisonous.
Plant with allergenic pollen.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Origin
Chenopodium album is native to Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and North-East Asia.
Worldwide distribution
North America, Central and South America, it is present in Europe, Middle East, Asia, Africa, Indonesia, Japan, Australia and the Pacific Islands
Algeria: A common species in fields and redural areas of the Tell region.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY_SA |
References |
Local harmfulness
Algeria : Chenopodium albun is a major "weed". It is one of the most harmful species of field crops because it can colonize practically all ecological environments (very frequent species), moreover its great adaptation to the agricultural environment gives it a very important potential of invasion (very high seed production) of the plots (very abundant species). It is very harmful because of its rapid growth, its great capacity to pump water from the soil, its greed for mineral elements, the high number of seeds produced that can be kept in the soil for a long time, and its capacity to harbour a large number of pathogens (viruses in particular) and crop pests.
The seeds are eaten by sheep and remain viable after passing through the digestive system (endozoochory), resulting in crops being soiled by manure that has not been carefully composted.
It is also a potentially toxic plant for ruminants when conditions allow it to accumulate nitrates, so caution should be exercised when using poorly weeded forage crops.
Plant with allergenic pollen.
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Global harmfulness
Chenopodium album is a very invasive and very common weed in practically all crops. Abundant seed production and long viability in soil are responsible for its survival and rapid spread.
Local harmfulness
Argentina: Chenopodium album is a weed considered as an invasive species by governmental decree.
Brazil: Chenopodium album is a very common weed forming dense stands, particularly in long day regions and especially in sugar beet crops.
Madagascar: Chenopodium album is a globally rare weed and is scarce in cultures but can be quite common though little abundant in vegetable cultivation in the Central Highlands (regions of Antsirabe and Antananarivo).
Mauritius: It does not represent a problem in crops because of its scarcity.
Reunion: This species is found mainly in vegetable cultivation in the south and the lens in Cilaos. It is a nitrophilous species, very competitive with respect to culture. In cultured lentils in Cilaos, this species is very common (Fr> 70%) with sometimes significant covering of 30-50%, which places it in the group of the top weed for that crop. It is also common in vegetable cultivation in the region of Tampon.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Food: In Algeria, the seeds were consumed as boiled cereals or ground and mixed with flour to make pancakes.
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Food: The leaves and stem ends of Chenopodium album can be consumed as cooked spinach. The young stems are eaten like asparagus. The leaves are rich in protein, vitamins A and C and calcium. The consumption of raw foliage is unpleasant and not recommended because of the floury texture and of the content of the plant in saponin, nitrates and oxalic acid content of the plant. After cooking, saponin disappears but oxalates appear.
Dyer: A green dye is obtained from young shoots.
Ecological indicator: The plant responds directly to the magnesium and nitrogen content of the soil and thus it can be used as a bio indicator of these elements.
Other: Crushed fresh roots give a substitute to mild soap.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Local control
Algeria: Excess nitrogen and the use of non-composted organic matter should be avoided. The high availability of mineral nitrogen in the soil at the beginning of the crop cycle favours the growth of this nitophilic species more than the cultivated plant; late sowing (false sowing technique) therefore contributes to limit the soiling of the crop by this species.
All individuals that may develop in the vicinity of the plots and during rotations should be eliminated.
Harrows and hoeing machines are good at digging up this species, so weeding is particularly effective. Hand or machine pruning of the individuals as soon as they come into flower has a partial impact on the current crop but avoids seed formation. Mechanical weeding (hoeing, weeding harrow, rotary hoe, etc.) and thermal weeding (solarisation) give good results.
Seedlings can be controlled with diuron, linuron, prometryne, etc. Adult individuals are susceptible to 2,4-D, metribuzin, oxyfluorfene, prosulfocarb, trifluralin, etc.
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Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Global control
Chemical: Post-emergence application of 2,4-D at 500 g/ha or metsulfuron at 4 g/ha. In wheat crops, pre and early post-emergence application of Stomp 330 E and Buctril-M 40 EC.
Local control
Madagascar: Chenopodium album is a fast-growing species but quite easy to eliminate with manual weeding.
Mauritius: It can be easily controlled by manual weeding or hoeing.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY_SA |
References |
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Herbarium pictures ReCOLNAT: https://explore.recolnat.org/search/botanique/simplequery=Chenopodium%2520album
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Root | Root |
Kingdom | Plantae |
Phylum | Tracheophyta |
Class | Magnoliopsida |
Order | Caryophyllales |
Family | Amaranthaceae |
Genus | Chenopodium |
Species | Chenopodium album L. |