C. opulifolium auct., non Schrad. ex Koch & Ziz.; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 5: 3. 1886; R.R.Stewart, Ann. Cat. Vasc. Pl. W. Pak. & Kashmir: 222. 1972. cf.; Bhopal & Chaudhri in Pak. Syst. 1: 45. 1977; Mullin in Hara et al., Fl. Pl. Nepal 3: 170. 1982; Ahmad et al. in J. Nat. Hist. Mus. Inst., Chiba 3: 163. 1995.

Annual, usually sparsely mealy, sometimes glabrous. Stems to 70(-120) cm, erect, pale green, striped, sometimes reddish, branches fairly short, lowermost subopposite. Leaf blade 1.5-4.5 cm, thin, triangular-hastate to broadly trullate, usually at least somewhat longer than broad, base broadly truncate to sometimes slightly cordate, often with prominent, spreading basal lobes with 1-2 teeth, otherwise margin entire to serrate, apex acute to obtuse, usually acuminate; sometimes leaves trullate to ovate, entire; petiole sometimes longer than blade. Uppermost leaves bract-like, ovate, entire. Inflorescence lax, mostly spiciform and leafy, glomerules small. Perianth lobes partly spreading at fruit stage, connate ca. 1/3 from the base, apically with prominent, narrow keel, midrib often visible inside. Fruits partly falling without perianth. Pericarp ± adherent. Seeds (1.0-) 1.2-1.4 mm, circular in outline, margin acute to obtuse; testa with radial striae, otherwise almost smooth to somewhat uneven.

Fl. & Fr. Per.: August - September.

Lectotype: Pakistan, Kurram, Kurrum Valley, Shálozán, Aug. 1879 J.E.T. Aitchison 980 (G!), isolectotypes (C!, FI!, G-BOIS!, K!, S!). Uotila in Ann. Bot. Fennici 30: 191, 1993).

Forests, grasslands, riversides. 1050 - 3200 m; Distribution: NE Afghanistan, N Pakistan and N India.

Specimens of C. atripliciforme were frequently and wrongly determined as the Euro-Mediterranean - African C. opulifolium based on an often fairly similar leaf shape. However, C. atripliciforme is less mealy, its leaves are thinner, often larger and narrower (but broader than in C. album) with more acute apices, lobes and teeth, the inflorescence is laxer and the perianth segments have a more prominent wing-like keel. Sometimes it was confused with C. album or C. badachschanicum (as C. hybridum), the latter having somewhat similar leaf shape. C. atripliciforme, as delimited here is very variable, but the material available does not allow further considerations. As many other Chenopodiums, C. atripliciforme may sometimes have ± entire leaves. Several specimens with ca. 1 cm long, broadly ovate to almost round leaves and much branched stem deviate so much from the bulk of the material that they have been placed with hesitation under C. atripliciforme.