Chenopodium schraderianum, Schult.

Brenan, J. P. M, 1954, Chenopodiaceae (part: Chenopodium), Flora of Tropical East Africa 12, pp. 2-14 : 12

7. C. schraderianum Schult. ,

Syst. Veg. 6: 260 (1820); Bak. & C. B. Cl. in F.T.A. 6 (1): 80 (1909); Brenan in K.B. 1950: 131 (1950); Hauman in F.C.B. 2: 4 (1951).

Type: a plant cultivated by Schrader, of unknown origin

Annual up to 1-1-3 m. high, upright; main stem simple or with few rarely many lateral branches, especially near base; plant green, sometimes red-tinged, shortly glandular and pubescent all over, strongly aromatic. Lower and median leaves elliptic to oblong in outline, mostly 1-5 (-8) cm. long and 0-5-3 (-5) cm. wide, mostly obtuse at apex, pinnately divided throughout each side into 3-5 narrow blunt lobes which are entire or with a few blunt teeth and all extend usually to within 2-3 mm. of midrib, glands between veins on lower surface of leaf all sessile (use X 20 lens), not accompanied by hairs; upper leaves progressively smaller and less divided. Inflorescence as in CL procerum (p. 11) but often tending to be smaller. Flowers greenish or red-tinged, minute, 0.5-1 mm. in diameter. Sepals 5, each with a prominent toothed keel outside from near apex to near base,glandular outside, glands all sessile (use X 20 lens). Stamens 1-2. Pericarp easily rubbed or scraped off seed. Seeds (Fig. 2/7,p. 3) black or nearly so, somewhat glossy, 0-7- 0.8 mm. in diameter,bluntly and not prominently keeled; testa under microscope with very minute shallow contiguous rounded or angular pits.

Uganda. West Nile District: Attiak, War, Apr. 1940, Eggeling 3911!; Kigezi District: Kachwekano Farm, Sept. 1949, Purseglove 3108!; Masaka District: Kyotera, Nov. 1945, Purseglove 1865!

Kenya. North Nyeri District: Nyeri, 19 Dee. 1921,Fries 138!; Nairobi, Kirichwa ndogo valley, Jan. 1940, Bally 749!; Nakuru District: Londiani, Dec. 1905, O. S. Baker 348!

Tanganyika. Bukoba District: Nyaishozi, Dec. 1931, Haarer 2443!; Mbulu District: Mbulumbul, 25 June 1945, Greenway 7445!; Rungwe District: Kyimbila, 23 Sept. 1910, Stolz 292!

Distb. Ul, 2,4; K3-7; Tl-3, 7; from the A.-E. Sudan, Ethiopia and Somaliland southwards through eastern Africa to the Cape and Angola; rarely adventive in Europe; recorded from other parts of the Old and New Worlds, but apparently in error

Hab. A locally common weed of cultivated areas and waste places; 1220-2290 m.

Syn. C. foetidum Schrad . in Magaz. Ges. Naturf. Freund© Berlin 2: 79 (1808); Aschers. & Graebn., Syn. Mitteleur. FI. 5 (1): 24 (1913); Aollen in F.R. 24: 345 (1928); Aellen & Just in Amer. Midi. Nat. 30: 56 (1943), non Lam., FI. Fr. 3: 244 (1778)

For the differences between this species and C. procerum [Hoechst, ex] Moq. see under the latter (above).

A number of varieties and forms have been recognized under C. schraderianum , notably by Murr in Bull. Herb. Boiss" sér. 2, 4: 990-991 (1904), Aschers. & Graebn., Syn. Mitteleur. FI. 5 (1): 24 (1913), and Aellen in F.R. 24: 345-7 (1928); these have been summarized by Hauman in F.C.B. 2: 6 (1951). None has so far been recorded for East Africa, although doubtless they occur. Hauman’s view that these are nothing more than states due to environment, or merely different stages in growth and development, is willingly followed here.