Synonymes : Chenopodium hederiforme (Murr.) Aellen, Chenopodium olukondae (Murr.) Murr.
Common name : Lambsquarters, common goose foot
Common name in Hindi : Bathu
Common name in Urdu : Bathu, bathwa
Bangla English Hindi Urdu
Diagnostic characters
Biology
Ecology and distribution
Nuisance
Weed control
Botany
Uses/Remark
References
Lambsquarters is an annual, erect, pale green weed with strong smell. It is one of the most widely distributed species of weeds in the world and is one of the most successful colonizers of new areas. In prehistoric times the seeds were harvested and stored for human consumption. The plant is usually light green because it may have a waxy bloom or a white mealy pubescence. Its name album (whitish) refers to this character. The ridge stem, when growing in the open, it may be tinged with red or purple. It has a strong tap root system. The leaves much longer than broad with several shallow lobes are variable in shape; they are used as green vegetable. The flowers are aggregated into dense clusters (glomerules) in leaf axils and at terminus of stems and branches. The fruits are not visible; they are entirely enclosed in the floral envelope.
Lambsquarters is an annual species, always propagated from seeds. Each plant produces about 30 to 40 000 seeds, but large plants may produce 500 000 seeds. The seeds may be dispersed by birds, or transported by the water. Seeds have been known to survive from 30 to 40 years in soil. Only the seeds in superficial layers of the soil are able to germinate. There are two types of seeds, some with hard envelope and dormant, and others with a supple envelope that can germinate immediately.
The origins of C. album are uncertain. The plant is found from sea level to 3 600 meters and from lat 70° N to more than lat 50° S. It prefers light textured and well-drained soils but it is able to adapt to all inhabited areas of the world except in extreme desert climates.
This species is very invasive and very common in practically all crops. Abundant seed production and long viability in soil are responsible for its survival and rapid spread. It is noxious because the water and mineral absorption by the roots system it is in concurrence with the crop production.
- Chemical
Post-emergence application of 2_4-D at 500 g/ha or Metsulfuron at 4 g/ha. In wheat crops, pre and early post-emergence application of Stomp 330 E and Buctril-M 40 EC.
Habit
Annual herb, first with white mealy pubescence, and pale green later, growing from 10 to 100cm, frequently very ramified.
Roots
Tap root system growing deep in the soil and ramified.
Stem
Erect, cylindrical, angular with prominent ridges, smooth, branched, often tinged with red or ribbed or striped with pink, purple or yellow.
Leaves
Simple, alternate, ovate, lanceolate to rhomboid, irregularly dentated, rarely entire, with long petiole and without stipules. The leaves size varies from 1.5 to 8cm in length and 3cm broad; greyish green and mealy below, but sometimes the two sides of the lamina are green.
Inflorescence
A spiked panicle in leaf axils and at terminus of stems and branches, with small dense flower clusters crowded on branches. Flowers green, small, sessile in irregular spikes, without petals. Sepals five keeled and nearly covering the mature fruit. Stamens five, pistil one, with two or three styles, ovary one-celled.
Fruit
Utricle with a glabrous and mealy pericarp with only one seed.
Seeds
Lens-shaped with marginal notch, black, glossy 0.7 to 2mm in diameter.
Seedling
Cotyledons (precociously deciduous), 10 to 15mm long and 2 to 3mm broad, fleshy, elliptic-stretched, shortly petiolated. Under side often red-violet, upper side green or mealy.
First leaves ovate-stretched, with entire margin more or less opposite and the following leaves with alternate attachment. Presence of white waxy granules on young leaves.
- Holm L. G., Plucknett D. L., Pancho J. V., Herberger J. P. 1991. The world’s worst weeds. Distribution and Biology. East-West Center by the University Press. Hawaii.
- Chhokar R. S., Chauhan D. S., Sharma R. K., Singh R. K. and Singh R. P. 2002. Major weeds of wheat and their management. Bulletin No. 13. Directorate of Wheat Research. Haryana, India.
- Nayyar M. M., Ashiq M. and Ahmad J. 2001. Manual on Punjab weeds (Part I). Directorate of Agronomy. Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad Pakistan.
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