Manual of the New Zealand Flora.
Order LXIV. ChenopodiaceÆ
Order LXIV. ChenopodiaceÆ.
Annual or perennial herbs or shrubs, usually succulent ana fleshy, sometimes covered with a mealy scurf. Leaves alternate or very rarely opposite, simple, sometimes wanting, exstipulate. Flowers small, regular, hermaphrodite or unisexual, often dimorphic, variously disposed but usually sessile and clustered, clusters often aggregated into dense or interrupted spikes or panicles. Bracts often wanting, when present herbaceous, not scarious. Perianth inferior, 3–5-lobed or -cleft, herbaceous, persistent, imbricate. Stamens 4–5, rarely fewer, hypogynous or perigynous; filaments subulate or filiform; anthers 2-celled. Ovary superior, 1-celled; style-branches 2–3, either free or united at the base; ovule solitary, basal or lateral, amphitropous. Fruit usually a utricle, rarely a berry, enclosed in the persistent perianth, which is often enlarged or fleshy. Seed horizontal or vertical, testa crustaceous; albumen present and farinaceous or wanting; embryo curved or annular or spiral.
A widely spread order, found in all climates, but most plentiful in maritime or saline localities. Genera 80; species between 500 and 600, often difficult of discrimination. The order includes the sugar-beet and mangold, two plants of great commercial importance; also the garden-beet, the spinach, and orache. Many of the species are common weeds of cultivation, and several of these have become naturalised in New Zealand. Of the 6 indigenous genera, 5 are widely spread in temperate and tropical climates, the remaining one (Rhagodia) is confined to Australia and New Zealand.
A. Stems leafy, not jointed. Stamens 3–5. Flowers hermaphrodite or unisexual. Perianth hardly enlarged in fruit. Fruit a berry. Embryo annular 1. Rhagodia. Flowers usually hermaphrodite. Perianth hardly enlarged in fruit. Fruit a dry utricle. Embryo annular 2. Chenopodium. Flowers unisexual; females enclosed within 2 bracts which are much enlarged in fruit. Embryo annular 3. Atriplex, Leaves fleshy, semiterete. Perianth simply enlarged and fleshy in fruit. Embryo spiral 5. SuÆda. Leaves fleshy, pungent-pointed. Perianth enlarged and winged in fruit. Embryo spiral 6. Salsola. B. Stems jointed, leafless. Stamens 1 or 2. Flowers sunk in cavities between the joints 4. Salicornia.
1. Rhagodia, R. Br.
Shrubs or more rarely herbs. Leaves alternate or subopposite, sessile or petiolate. Flowers small, hermaphrodite or monœcious, rarely diœcious, sessile or very shortly pedicelled, in axillary clusters or in terminal spikes or panicles; bracts wanting. Perianth 5-lobed or -partite; segments obtuse, concave, hardly enlarged in fruit. Stamens 5 or fewer, inserted at the base of the perianth; filaments subulate, flattened. Ovary subglobose; styles 2 or very rarely 3, linear or subulate. Fruit a small globose or depressed-globose berry, free from the perianth. Seed horizontal, flattened; testa crustaceous; embryo annular, surrounding the copious mealy albumen.
A small genus of 11 species, all Australian, but one of them found in New Zealand as well.
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1. R. nutans, R. Br. Prodr. 408.'—A much-branched prostrate or procumbent herb, green or the young leaves and branches more or less clothed with white mealy tomentum; stems 9–24 in. long, usually hard and woody at the base. Leaves opposite and alternate, petiolate, ¼–1 in. long, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate or hastate, acute, cuneate or truncate or cordate at the base, entire, rather thin. Flowers minute, polygamous or diœcious, arranged in short loose-flowered spikes or panicles in the upper axils or terminating the branches. Perianth-segments ovate, obtuse, mealy-tomentose. Male flowers usually with 3 stamens; female flowers with 1 or 2 abortive stamens. Ovary depressed-globose; styles 2. Fruit globose, fleshy, bright-red, ⅛ in. diam.— Benth. Fl. Austral. v. 156; Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvi. (1884) 408.
Kermadec Islands, North Island: Rocky places near the sea, not un—common, Also plentiful in east Australia, from Queensland southwards.
Closely resembles Chenopodium triandrum in habit and foliage, and is easily mistaken for it in the absence of fruit. It probably occurs in the South Island, but I have seen no specimens from thence.
2. Chenopodium, Linn.
Annual or perennial erect or prostrate herbs, rarely woody at the base, mealy or glandular-pubescent, seldom glabrous. Leaves alternate, entire or lobed or toothed. Flowers minute, greenish, usually hermaphrodite, sessile in clusters; clusters axillary or in terminal spikes or panicles. Perianth 5-partite, rarely 3–4-partite; segments obtuse, incurved and concave, not at all of very slightly altered in fruit. Stamens 5 or fewer; filaments filiform or flattened, sometimes connate at the base. Ovary depressed or ovoid, styles 2–3, free or united at the base. Fruit an ovoid or depressed membranous utricle, wholly or partially included in the persistent perianth. Seed horizontal or vertical; testa crustaceous; embryo annular, enclosing the copious mealy albumen.
A widely distributed genus of from 50 to 60 species, most abundant in temperate climates. Of those described below, three are common in many parts of the world as weeds of cultivation or wayside plants, and may not be true natives of New Zealand.
* Seed horizontal (rarely vertical in C. glaucum).
Intensely fœtid, prostrate or decumbent, mealy-pulverulent. Leaves ⅙–½ in., triangular-hastate, entire. Flowers in small dense axillary clusters 1. C. detestans. Prostrate or trailing, often glaucous, mealy-pulverulent. Leaves ¼–1 in., triangular - oblong or hastate, entire. Flowers in lax axillary or terminal spikes or panicles 2. C. triandrum. Prostrate, fleshy. Leaves ½–1½ in., oblong or deltoid, sinuate-lobed, mealy beneath. Flowers in axillary or terminal spikes 3. C. glaucum. Erect or spreading, green or slightly mealy. Leaves ¾–1½ in., triangular or rhomboid, toothed or lobed. Flowers in axillary or terminal spikes or panicles 4. C. urbicum. Erect, aromatic, glandular-pubescent, not mealy. Leaves l-4 in., ovate-lanceolate, sinuate-toothed. Flowers very numerous, in slender axillary spikes 5. C. ambrosioides. ** Seed vertical.
Glandular-pubescent. Stems 6–18 in., decumbent below, erect above. Leaves ¼–¾ in., oblong, sinuate-lobed or pinnatifid. Flowers in.dense axillary fascicles 6. C. carinatum. Small, glandular-pubescent, much branched, prostrate, 2–6 in. long. Leaves 1/10–⅓ in., broadly oblong or orbicular, obscurely sinuate. Flowers in axillary glomerules 7. C. pusillum.
3. Atriplex, Linn.
Herbs or shrubs, usually more or less mealy or scurfy-tomen-tose. Leaves alternate or rarely opposite. Flowers unisexual, usually in clusters arranged in simple or panicled spikes, the sexes distinct or mixed in the clusters. Male flowers ebracte- ate. Perianth 3–5-partite; segments oblong or obovate, obtuse. Stamens 3–5. Female flowers 2-braeteate; bracts small at first, erect and appressed, distinct or more or less connate, enlarged in fruit and forming a variously shaped 2 - valved covering to the utricle. Perianth wanting or very rarely of 2–5 hyaline segments. Ovary small; styles 2, filiform. Utricle entirely concealed within the base of the greatly enlarged and thickened bracts; pericarp thin, membranous. Seed compressed, vertical or very rarely horizontal; testa thin, crustaceous or coriaceous; embryo annular, surrounding the copious mealy albumen.
A large genus of about 120 species, widely spread through most parts of the globe, but chiefly along sea-coasts or in saline localities. One of the New Zealand species is a weed of probably northern origin, two others are found in Australia, the fourth is endemic.
Erect branching shrub 1–4 ft. high, white with scurfy tomentum. Leaves 1–2 in., oblong, entire. Fruiting-bracts ¼ in., ovate-rhomboid 1. A. cinerea. Erect or diffuse annual 1–2 ft. high, green or sparingly mealy. Leaves 1–3 in., lanceolate to deltoid, entire or toothed. Fruiting-bracts 1/10–⅛ in., ovate-rhomboid 2. A. patula. Prostrate, much branched, 3–9 in. diam., white with scurfy tomentum. Leaves ⅛–⅓ in., oblong to orbicular, entire or sinuate. Fruiting-bracts ovoid, very minute 3. A. Buchanani. Prostrate, glabrous, fleshy, clothed with watery papillae, 6–18 in. long. Leaves ¼–¾ in., oblong, entire or toothed. Fruiting-bracts urceolate. Utricle transverse to the bracts, not parallel 4. A. Billardieri.
4. Salicornia, Linn.
Annual or perennial leafless herbs, sometimes woody at the base. Stems cylindric, jointed, very succulent; branches opposite. Flowers minute, hermaphrodite or polygamous, sunk in cavities between the successive joints of the branches towards their tips, 3–7 together, free or connate at the base. Perianth obpyramidal, fleshy, flat at the top or rarely contracted; mouth 3–4-toothed. Stamens 1–2; anthers large, exserted, didymous. Ovary ovoid, narrowed above; styles 2, subulate, papillose. Utricle included in the spongy perianth, membranous, ovoid or oblong. Seed erect, oblong or obovoid; testa thinly coriaceous or crustaceous, hispid with hooked hairs; albumen wanting; embryo folded, radicle inferior.
A small genus of about 8 species, found on most temperate or tropical seashores, and occasionally in saline places inland. The single New Zealand species also occurs in Australia and Tasmania.
5. SuÆda, Forsk.
Glabrous herbs or undershrubs. Leaves alternate, fleshy, thick or terete, entire. Flowers minute, sessile or nearly so, axillary, solitary or clustered, usually hermaphrodite; bracts and bracteoles minute, scarious. Perianth short, fleshy, 5-lobed or -partite; lobes or segments equal or unequal, without appendages or more or less carinate or crested or slightly winged, enclosing the fruit. Stamens 5, short. Styles 2–5, short, subulate, recurved. Utricle included in the perianth, membranous or spongy; pericarp thin, usually free from the seed. Seed horizontal, vertical or oblique; testa crustaceous or coriaceous; albumen wanting or scanty; embryo flat, spirally rolled.
A widely distributed genus of about 40 species, usually found on sea-shores or in saline places. The single species found in New Zealand has a wide range in most temperate and tropical countries.
6. Salsola, Linn.
Herbs or shrubs; branches not jointed. Leaves alternate, sessile, narrow-linear or terete, often pungent. Flowers small, solitary or fascicled, axillary, hermaphrodite, 2-bracteolate. Perianth 4–5-partite; segments concave, thickened down the back, enlarged in fruit and furnished with a horizontal wing or protuberance, completely enclosing the utricle. Stamens 5, rarely fewer. Styles 2–3, subulate, erect or recurved. Utricle ovoid or orbicular; pericarp fleshy or membranous, not adherent to the seed. Seed usually horizontal, orbicular; testa membranous; albumen wanting; embryo spirally coiled.
Species estimated at about 40, widely spread in saline localities, but mainly in temperate regions.
1. | S. Kali, Linn. Sp. Plant. 222.—A rigid procumbent or diffusely branched herb 6–18 in. high; stem stout, grooved and angled, scabrid-pubescent or almost glabrous; branches spreading, often striped. Leaves spreading and recurved, variable in size, ¼–1 in. long or more, ovate-subulate with a rigid pungent point, sheathing at the base, thick and fleshy, semi-terete; the uppermost shorter and broader, almost triangular. Flowers solitary and sessile in the axils of the leaves, sometimes appearing clustered from the reduction of axillary flowering-branches, each flower with 2 opposite bracteoles; floral leaves and bracteoles all pungent. Fruiting-perianth about ¼ in. diam., shorter than the bracteoles, 5-partite; segments rigid and cartilaginous at the base, furnished above with 5 broad spreading scarious wings.— Benth. Fl. Austrac. v. 207. S. australis, R. Br. Prodr. 411; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 216; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 232. North and South Islands: Not uncommon on sandy shores from the North Cape southwards, but probably introduced. December–March. A widely dispersed plant in most temperate and tropical regions, but of very doubtful nativity in New Zealand. It is a true native of Australia, however. |