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wormseed

cut-leaf glandular-goosefoot, cut-leaf goosefoot, many-cleft goosefoot, small-leaf worm-seed

Habit Plants annual. Plants perennial (possibly annual in some parts of its range).
Stems

erect to ascending, branched, 3.7–7.5(–10) dm, ± glandular-pubescent, puberulent, or glabrate.

prostrate or ascending, much-branched, 1.5–7 dm, densely puberulent.

Leaves

malodorous, distal leaves sessile;

petiole 1.4 mm;

blade narrowly ovate to lanceolate, 5–7 × 1.5–3 cm, base cuneate, margins dentate with large, widely spaced teeth, apex acute, gland-dotted (rarely nearly glabrous).

nonaromatic;

petiole absent or indistinguishable from blade;

blade oblong to elliptic, 0.6–4.5 × 0.1–1(–2) cm, base narrowly cuneate, margins deeply and irregularly pinnatifid with narrow, linear lobes, sometimes only dentate, apex acute to obtuse, glandular-pubescent abaxially.

Inflorescences

terminal and lateral spikes or panicles, 3–8 cm;

glomerules globose, 2.5–3.3 mm diam.;

bracts absent or leaflike, linear, to 2.2 mm, apex acute.

lateral glomerules 1.8–3.5 mm diam.;

bracts similar to cauline leaves.

Flowers

perianth segments 5, connate for ca. 1/2 their length, distinct portion ovate, 0.7 mm, apex obtuse, rounded abaxially, glabrous, covering fruit at maturity;

stamens 5;

stigmas 3.

perianth segments (4–)5, connate for most of their length, urceolate, tube with distinct reticulate veins, distinct portion 0.1–0.5 mm, margins dentate, apex rounded to broadly acute, accrescent and coriaceous with age, enclosing fruit;

stamens 5;

stigmas (2–)3(–5).

Achenes

ovoid;

pericarp nonadherent, smooth, glandular.

obovoid;

pericarp loosely adherent, membranaceous, with many yellow glandular hairs near apex, otherwise smooth.

Seeds

horizontal or vertical, reddish brown, ovoid, 0.6–0.8 × 0.8–1 mm;

seed coat smooth.

vertical, suborbicular to ovoid, 0.8–1.3 × 0.8–1 mm;

seed coat smooth.

Dysphania anthelmintica

Dysphania multifida

Phenology Fruiting summer–fall. Fruiting mid summer–late fall.
Habitat Sand dunes, pinelands, meadows, roadsides, and other waste areas Waste ground, sandy shores and ballast dumps near coast
Elevation 0-1100 m (0-3600 ft) 0-700 m (0-2300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CA; DE; FL; GA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; SC; TX; VA; WV; Mexico; Central America; West Indies; Bermuda
from FNA
CA; FL; GA; MA; NJ; NY; OR; PA; SC; VA; South America [Introduced in North America; introduced widely throughout the tropical and warm-temperate regions of world]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Dysphania anthelmintica is cultivated and locally naturalized elsewhere in the world. It is reported to not have leaves (pseudobracts) subtending the glomerules. In fact, it usually has very reduced leaflike bracts that are never longer than the glomerules. This species appears to be the most common representative along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and is probably native to that region.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 4, p. 270. FNA vol. 4, p. 271.
Parent taxa Chenopodiaceae > Dysphania > sect. Adenois Chenopodiaceae > Dysphania > sect. Adenois
Sibling taxa
D. ambrosioides, D. aristata, D. botrys, D. carinata, D. chilensis, D. cristata, D. graveolens, D. multifida, D. pumilio
D. ambrosioides, D. anthelmintica, D. aristata, D. botrys, D. carinata, D. chilensis, D. cristata, D. graveolens, D. pumilio
Synonyms Chenopodium anthelminticum, Chenopodium ambrosioides var. anthelminticum Chenopodium multifidum, Roubieva multifida, Teloxys multifida
Name authority (Linnaeus) Mosyakin & Clemants: Ukrayins’k. Bot. Zhur n., n. s. 59: 382. (2002) (Linnaeus) Mosyakin & Clemants: Ukrayins’k. Bot. Zhurn., n. s. 59: 382. (2002)
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