Frosted Goosefoot
Chenopodium desertorum subsp. microphyllum
Prostrate perennial, mealy grey in colour, with the stems and leaves covered in spherical bladder-like (vesicular) hairs. Oval, almost circular leaves, often only slightly mealy on the upper surface. Flowers clustered in short spikes, the top flowers are male and the lower flowers female.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Flora Type | Chenopods |
| Distinctive Features | This subspecies does not have a strong smell. |
| Biology | Perennial. Heavy soils. |
| Native Status | Native |
| Flowering Time | Oct-Mar but flowers all year |
| Taxonomy | |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Tracheophyta (Vascular Plants) |
| Class | Magnoliopsida (Flowering Plants) |
| Order | Caryophyllales |
| Family | Chenopodiaceae |
| Genus | Chenopodium |
| Species | desertorum |
From the Greek chen = goose, podos = foot, referring to the shape of the leaves in some species. The leaves and seeds of some Chenopodium species were used by Aboriginal people as a food source.
| Interesting Facts | |
|---|---|
| Similar Species | Similar to Malllee Goosefoot C. anidiophyllum which is less robust and more distinctly covered in a white floury dust. |
| Native Status | Native |