16. Chenopodium botrys Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 219. 1753; Hook. f., Fl. Br. India 5: 4. 1886, p.p.; Iljin & Aellen in Komarov, Fl. URSS 6: 46. 1936. p.p.; Grubov, Pl. As. Centr. 2: 19. 1966; Aellen in Davis, Fl. Turk. 2: 300. 1967; Jafri & Rateeb in Jafri & El Gadi, Fl. Libya 58: 13. 1978; R.R.Stewart, Ann. Cat. Vasc. Pl. W. Pak. & Kashmir: 220. 1972. p.p.; Bhopal & Chaudhri in Pak. Syst. 1: 44. 1977. p.p.; Kung & Chu in Kung & Tsien, Fl. Reip. Pop. Sin. 25(2): 81. 1979; Uotila in Rech. f., Fl. Iran. 172: 54. 1997. (Fig.7, E-H1).
Ambrina botrys (L.) Moq. Chenop. Enum.: 37. 1840.
Aromatic annual, 5-40(-70) cm, densely hairy, most hairs stalked, glandular. Stems erect, usually with several ascending branches, main axis sometimes shorter than some of the branches. Leaves dull green, somewhat glaucous, blade 1-7 cm, elliptic to ovate in outline, cuneate to subcordate at base, obtuse at apex, pinnatifid with 2-5 broad lobes and several teeth on each side; lower leaves sometimes repand. Inflorescence elongate, main axis to 5 cm wide, terminal, composed of mostly leafless dense dichasial cymes, or axillary with smaller cymes. Terminal flowers solitary, larger and earlier flowering than lateral ones. Perianth segments 5, c. 1 x 0.5 mm, elliptic to ovate, acuminate, free to base, often not contiguous at base, herbaceous with membranous margins, often whitish in fruit, weakly keeled, with stalked glandular hairs on back. Stamens 1-5. Stigmas 2. Pericarp free. Seeds horizontal, black, 0.6-0.8 mm, round in outline, margin rounded often truncate in part; testa almost smooth.
Fl. & Fr. Per.: April-August (-October).
Lectotype: ‘Habitat in Europae australis arenosis’, Herb. Linn. No. 313/12 (LINN!). Jafri & Rateeb in Jafri & El Gadi, Fl. Libya 58: 13. 1979.
Semi-desert, mountain slopes, meadows, riverbeds, river and salt-lake shores, fields, roadsides. 600-3700 m; Distribution: Mediterranean area to SW and C Asia and NW India; introduced and naturalized in C Europe, S Africa (?) and N America.
