Chenopodiaceae [FNA4, HC]
19 genera
66 species
11 subspecies and varieties
Show only taxa with photos
Scientific name
Common name
Index to genera:
Amaranthus,
Atriplex,
Bassia,
Beta,
Blitum,
Chenopodiastrum,
Chenopodium,
Corispermum,
Cycloloma,
Dysphania,
Grayia,
Halogeton,
Krascheninnikovia,
Micromonolepis,
Oxybasis,
Salicornia,
Salsola,
Spinacia,
Suaeda
– white pigweed, tumbleweed
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across much of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Dry, disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from tropical America
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Annual
– matweed, prostrate pigweed
Distribution: Introduced in the Pacific Northwest; more common east of the Cascades
Habitat: Dry, disturbed areas
Origin: Introduced from central United States
Flowers: June - September
Growth Duration: Annual
– livid amaranth, pale amaranth
Origin: Introduced from the tropics
Growth Duration: Annual
– California amaranth
Origin: Native
Flowers: July - October
Growth Duration: Annual
– Argentina amaranth
Origin: Introduced
– green amaranth, hybrid amaranth, smooth amaranth, green pigweed, smooth pigweed
Distribution: Found in much of the United States, but uncommon in the Pacific Northwest; collected in Whitman County
Habitat: Dry areas, disturbed sites, agricultural fields.
Origin: Introduced from riparian zones in eastern North America
Flowers: July - September
Growth Duration: Annual
– green amaranth, Powell's amaranth
Distribution: Introduced in much of the United States; common in the Pacific Northwest
Habitat: Disturbed areas
Origin: Introduced from the southwestern United States and Mexico
Flowers: July - October
Growth Duration: Annual
– redroot pigweed, rough pigweed
Distribution: In scattered locations throughout Washington, but more commonly east of the Cascade crest; widely distributed throughout much of North America.
Habitat: Disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from eastern and central North America
Flowers: July-October
Growth Duration: Annual
– rough-fruited waterhemp, tall waterhemp
Distribution: Cosmopolitan weed found throughout North America.
Habitat: Moist or wet disturbed areas, particularly in association with agriculture or roadsides.
Origin: Introduced from the Great Plains of the central United States
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Annual
–
silver orache, silverscale orache
Origin: Native
Flowers: July - September
Growth Duration: Annual, Perennial
– silver saltbush, silverscale
–
fourwing saltbush, hoary saltbush, shadscale, wingscale
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington south to California, east to the Great Plains.
Habitat: Saline areas in the prairies.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
– hoary saltbush
– thickleaf orache, saline saltbush
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington, but particularly common along the inner and outer marine coast; Yukon Territory to California, east to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Salt marshes, sea beaches and headlands, also inland on disturbed or saline ground;
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Annual
–
Gardner's saltbush
Distribution: Occurring at low elevations in central Washington; Alberta south to California, east to the Great Plains.
Habitat: Sagebrush-steppe desert.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
– moundscale, gardner's saltbush, sickle saltbush, saltsage
–
Gmelin's orache, Gmelin's saltbush
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest along the coast in Washington; Alaska to California.
Habitat: On coastal beaches, strands, and rocky outcroppings near the high tide in saline soil.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Annual
– Gmelin's orache, Gmelin's saltbush
– orach, Russian atriplex orach
Distribution: Primarily east of the Cascades crest in Washington; occurring in scattered locations throughout North America.
Habitat: Riparian zones and adjacent fields; tolerant of alkaline.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Annual
– garden orache, French spinach
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska south to California, east to the Great Plains and in scattered locations in eastern North America.
Habitat: Disturbed areas, often where seasonally moist.
Origin: Introduced from Asia
Flowers: July-August
Growth Duration: Annual
– grassleaf orache, narrow-leaved orache
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: June - September
Growth Duration: Annual, Perennial
– long-stalked orache, Baltic saltbush
Origin: Introduced
– oblongleaf orache
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Growth Duration: Annual
– halberdleaf orache, spear oracle
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; occurring in scattered locations throughout North America.
Habitat: Coastal and inland, saline or alkaline soil.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Annual
– fat hen, hastate orache, thin-leaf orache
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, in scattered location across Canada and the U.S. to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Along the coast in saline soils, beaches, and strands; inland in alkaline soils.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Annual
– red orach, tumbling orach
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia south to California, east to the Rocky Mountains; scattered locations in central and eastern U.S.
Habitat: Weedy species of irrigated land and roadsides.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Annual
– Australian saltbush, berry saltbush, creeping saltbush
Distribution: Occasionally introduced in eastern and central WA; scattered localities primarily in southwestern US.
Habitat: Disturbed areas from dry to moist, tolerant of alkaline soils.
Origin: Introduced from Australia
Flowers: April-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
– wedge orache, wedgeleaf orache, wedgescale orache
Origin: Native
Flowers: June - August
Growth Duration: Annual
– bassia, fivehorn smotherweed
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia south to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains.
Habitat: Noxious weed of waste areas and irrigated farm land.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Annual
– red belvedere, mock cypress, summer cypress
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across U.S. and Canada to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, wastelots, and other dry, distrubed, open areas at low to middle elevations.
Origin: Introduced from eastern Europe and southestern Asia
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Annual
– strawberry blite, Indian ink, Indian paint
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Atlantic Coast primarily in the northern half of North America.
Habitat: Open areas at low to middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Annual
– Over's Goosefoot
Origin: Introduced?
– Nuttall's povertyweed
Distribution: East of the Cascades, southern British Columbia south to southern California, east to Manitoba, Missouri and New Mexico.
Habitat: Dry to moist, saline or alkaline soil, from the desert plains to mid-elevations in he mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May - July
Growth Duration: Annual
– prostrate monolepis
Origin: Native
– leafy goosefoot
Origin: Introduced
Flowers: June - September
Growth Duration: Annual
– nettleleaf goosefoot, wall goosefoot, sowbane
Distribution: Introduced throughout most of North America.
Habitat: Roadsides and waste areas.
Origin: Introduced
Flowers: May - August
Growth Duration: Annual
– giant goosefoot, maple leaf goosefoot
Distribution: Introduced in much of North America; British Columbia to California in the West.
Habitat: Weed of roadsides and waste areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June - September
Growth Duration: Annual
– lambsquarters, pigweed
Distribution: Widely distributed throughout Washington; widely distributed throughout much of temperate North America.
Habitat: Widespread weed of disturbed areas, including gardens, roadsides, and waste lots.
Origin: Introduced from Europe, but some populations in the mid-west may be native to North America, according to FNA
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Annual
– pinyon goosefoot
Origin: Native
Flowers: June - September
Growth Duration: Annual
–
Berlandieri's goosefoot
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, riparian zones, wastelots, and other open areas at low to middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: August-October
Growth Duration: Annual
– pitseed goosefoot
– Fremont's goosefoot
Origin: Native
Flowers: June - September
Growth Duration: Annual
– narrowleaf goosefoot
Distribution: East side of the Cascades, British Columbia to Baja California, east to the Mississippi Valley.
Habitat: Deserts and dry grasslands.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May - August
Growth Duration: Annual
– desert goosefoot, narrowleaf goosefoot
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Annual
– hybrid goosefoot
Origin: Native
– white goosefoot
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
– smooth goosefoot
Origin: Native
Flowers: May - August
Growth Duration: Annual
–
American bugseed
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern British Columbia to California, east to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Sandy, open sites, including shorelines, fields and disturbed areas, from low to middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Annual
– American bugseed
–
Hooker's bugseed
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; southeastern British Columbia to north-central Washington, east across Canada to Ontario.
Habitat: Sand dunes and sandy shores.
Origin: Native
Flowers: August-October
Growth Duration: Annual
– Hooker's bugseed
– Pacific bugseed
Distribution: Occurring along the Columbia River and east of the Cascades in Washington; southwestern Washington to northern Oregon, east to west-central Idaho; also in southwestern British Columbia.
Habitat: Dunes and sandy shorelines of desert areas and riverbanks.
Origin: Native
Flowers: August-October
Growth Duration: Annual
– Pallas' bugseed
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; southwestern British Columbia to northwestern Oregon, east across Canada and the northern U.S. to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Sand dunes, sandy and gravelly areas along streams and rivers, wastelots.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: August-October
Growth Duration: Annual
– pale bugseed
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades, where historically endemic to central Washington; likely extinct.
Habitat: Sandy shorelines of streams and lakes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: August-October
Growth Duration: Annual
– hairy bugseed
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest and west of the crest along the lower Columbia River; southern British Columbia to southern Oregon, east to the northern Rocky Mountain States, Great Plains, and Quebec.
Habitat: Sagebrush desert, often where alkaline.
Origin: Native
Flowers: August-October
Growth Duration: Annual
– Mexican tea, wormseed
Distribution: Occurring in scattered locations in Washington; native to southeastern U.S., but introduced in scattered localities in central and western U.S.
Habitat: Roadsides and waste areas, riparian zones, tolerant of alkaline.
Origin: Introduced from southern North America and tropical America
Flowers: July-November
Growth Duration: Annual
– Jerusalem oak goosefoot, Jerusalem oak
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across much of the U.S. and parts of southern Canada.
Habitat: Streambanks, gravel bars, roadsides, and other distrubed, open areas.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: May-October
Growth Duration: Annual
– small crumbweed, clammy goosefoot
Distribution: Occurring along the southern border of Washington; southern British Columbia to California and northern Nevada, east to Idaho; scattered in eastern half of U.S.
Habitat: Sandy or gravelly soils, streambanks, waste areas, and other disturbed sites.
Origin: Introduced from Australia
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Annual
– spiny hopsage
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to Colorado.
Habitat: Foothills and desert valleys, often in alkaline soil.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
– halogeton, saltlover
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: July - September
Growth Duration: Annual
– winterfat
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to the Great Plains.
Habitat: Sagebrush plains and foothills, often in saline or alkaline soil.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
– red povertyweed
Distribution: Occurring in central Washington; disjunct in central Washington, otherwise from southern Oregon to California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado.
Habitat: Sagebrush-steppe desert, often where alkaline.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-June
– low goosefoot, red goosefoot
Origin: Native
Flowers: June - August
Growth Duration: Annual
–
glaucous goosefoot, oakleaf goosefoot
Distribution: Occurring along the southern border east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska south to California, east across the northern half of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Open, sometimes disturbed, areas, often where soil is alkaline or saline.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Annual
– oak-leaf goosefoot
– Rocky Mountain goosefoot
– large seed goosefoot
Origin: Introduced
–
red goosefoot
Distribution: Widely distributed, British Columbia to Newfoundland, south across the United States.
Habitat: Moist, saline soils.
Origin: Both native and introduced
Flowers: July - October
Growth Duration: Annual
– marshland goosefoot
– red goosefoot
– low saltwort
Distribution: Strictly coastal in Washington;
Habitat: Salt marshes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
– woody glasswort, pickelweed
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest along the coast in Washington; Alaska to Baja California.
Habitat: Salt marshes and beaches along coast.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-October
Growth Duration: Perennial
– red glasswort saltwort
Origin: Native
Flowers: July - September
Growth Duration: Annual
– Russian thistle, tumbleweed
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington, where widely distributed; southern British Columbia to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Roadside, meadows, fields, wastelots, and other disturbed open areas from low to middle elevations.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Annual
– paiuteweed, common seablite, horned seablite, pahute weed
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; widely distributed throughout North America from Alaska south to California, east to the Great Plains, and also along the coast of eastern North America.
Habitat: Open, moist to wet areas, typically where saline.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Annual
– bushy seablite seepweed
Distribution: Occurring in Klickitat County in Washington; south-central Washington to California, east to the Great Plains.
Habitat: Alkaline soils in sagebrush flats and valleys.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Annual
– slender seablite, western seepweed
Distribution: Eastern Washington to northern Nevada, east through southern Idaho to Colorado.
Habitat: Saline or alkaline flats and marshes in sagebrush area.
Origin: Native
Flowers: Late June - August
Growth Duration: Annual