Lamb’s Quarters, Common Lamb’s Quarters, Pigweed, White Goosefoot, Fat Hen, Wild Spinach

Chenopodium album

(Chenopodium album var. album)

ken-oh-POH-dee-um  AL-bum

Chenopodium album L. is the accepted scientific name for this species. The genus and species were named and described as such by Carl von Linnaeus in the first volume of the first edition of Species Plantarum in 1753.

As of 2-3-24 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online lists 130 species in the Chenopodium genus. It is a member of the plant family Amaranthaceae with 184 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.

The above distribution map for Chenopodium album var. album is from Plants of the World Online. Areas in green are where the species is native and purple is where it has been introduced. 

The species Chenopodium album is an introduced species in North America, but since its arrival, several varieties have cropped up in the United States. In fact, the USDA Plants Database lists six varieties plus the autonym Chenopodium album var. album. You can click on “subordinate taxa” to view the maps for the varieties. The color orange on USDA maps means the species is both introduced and native… As of when this page was updated, POWO recognizes two varieties plus the autonym. Interestingly, Flora of North America (where POWO gets their data for species in North America) doesn’t recognize any lower taxon at this time. The color brown on their map likely means the species is both introduced and native. I have used the above map for Chenopodium album var. album from POWO because it looks like it makes more sense. The map for Chenopodium album has green and purple states mixed up together. However, that is because Chenopodium album (var. album) is an introduced species in pretty much every state with the varieties being native in several. It just looked a bit confusing. 

The map on iNaturalist shows where members have made observations. Anyone can join and it is a great website to confirm and share your observations. The maps on iNaturalist are continually updated as members post new observations. I post all my observations on iNaturalist.

THERE ARE SEVERAL LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING AND TO HELP WITH A POSITIVE ID.

If you are even remotely active in your yard, have a garden, trim or remove weeds, go on hikes, are a farmer, and go anywhere in the world, you have likely encountered Chenopodium album. You may know them by the common names Lamb’s Quarters, Pigweed, Goosefoot or White Goosefoot, Fat Hen, Wild Spinach, and likely others. Information online says this is one of the most widely distributed angiosperms (flowering plants that produce seeds) on the planet. The Missouri Department of Conservation states as many as 20 species in the genus have been recorded in Missouri. They have a well-deserved reputation among botanists for being difficult to identify to species.

Depending on soil fertility, Lamb’s Quarters can grow as tall as 6 feet. Here on the farm, they primarily grow in the garden, in several areas around the barn, front pasture, the ditch, and like others where I have ignored them. 

The leaves and seed and seed are edible and have been cultivated for many years in several countries, so it is somewhat difficult to tell where the species is actually native. Carl von Linnaeus described them from Europe in Species Plantarum in 1753, so it is assumed they are native to Eurasia. 

Even though they prefer moist soil in full sun and fertile loamy soil, other conditions are tolerated. The bushy plants can produce around 50,000 seeds and remain viable in the soil for 40 years.

The young leaves are edible and can be cooked and eaten like spinach. They contain oxalic acid, so they should be eaten in moderation. The species is grown in India as a food crop, like other members of the Amaranth family. Native Americans ground the seed for flour and the plant has been used for a variety of ailments. The pollen had been known as a contributor to hay fever. Interestingly, the juice of the plant has also been used as an ingredient in plaster…

The plants produce many branches above the base that are green, reddish-tinged, or reddish-purple-striped. The stems, especially younger ones, have a white-mealy covering from glands. 

The leaves grow alternately along the stems and are up to 6” long and 3” wide with fairly long petioles (leaf stems). The leaves are kind of wedge-shaped, tapering to the base, and with sharply or bluntly pointed tips. The margins are kind of wavy and have coarse, irregular, slightly lobed teeth. The texture of the leaves is kind of thick and leathery.

The upper surface of the leaves is green to blue-greenish, while the lower surface is a lighter color because of a white-mealy coating. Younger leaves toward the tip are similar in appearance but may have a white-mealy coating. Some descriptions say the white-mealy coating is from short hairs, but the Missouri Plants glossary says, “with a covering of tiny granules,” and Wikipedia’s Glossary of Botanical Terms says, “covered with coarse, floury powder.” One website says they start as blister-like hairs then become… Hmmm… I forgot what it said… Well, since there are so many plants on the farm, I can have a closer look with a couple of magnifying glasses. 🙂

Major and axillary stems terminate in with short spikes of small clusters of flowers. Larger plants may have spikes as long as 8”.

The small yellowish-green flowers are about 1/10” across and have a white-mealy coating. They have a 5-lobed broadly keeled calyx that persists at fruiting, no petals, 5 stamens with yellow anthers, a 2-3 parted style, and 2 stigmas. Flowers are produced from May through sometime in October in my neck of the woods in west-central Missouri. The flowers are wind-pollinated.

Once mature, ovaries become the fruit and are completely enclosed by the calyx. Inside is a single flattened black seed that is difficult to remove. Large plants can produce over 50,000 seeds.

I want to thank the Missouri Plants website for providing such great photos and descriptions available. Before I started using iNauralist, Missouri Plants was my number one source for wildflower ID. Now I use it to verify what iNaturalist suggests.

So, in 2024, the goal is to take more photos, especially close-ups. I don’t like using photos from other sources, but sometimes I need a little help. Sometimes taking close-ups can be tricky, and other times it works like a snap!

There are a few more photos at the bottom of the page…

I live on the family farm in Windsor, Missouri in Pettis County (Henry County is across the street, and Benton and Johnson aren’t far away). I have grown over 500 different plants and identified over 250 species of wildflowers (most have pages listed on the right side of the page). I am not an expert, botanist, or horticulturalist. I just like growing, photographing, and writing about my experience. I rely on several websites for ID and a few horticulturalists I contact if I cannot figure them out. Wildflowers can be variable from location to location, so that can be a bit confusing. If you see I have made an error, please let me know so I can correct what I have written.

I hope you found this page useful and be sure to check the links below for more information. They were written by experts and they have provided much more information. Some sites may not be up-to-date but they are always a work in progress. If you can, I would appreciate it if you would click on the “Like” below and leave a comment. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. You can also send an email to me at thebelmontrooster@yahoo.com. I would enjoy hearing from you especially if you notice something is a bit whacky.

FOR FURTHER READING:
PLANTS OF THE WORLD ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
INTERNATIONAL PLANT NAMES INDEX (GENUS/SPECIES)
TROPICOS (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF MISSOURI (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF NORTH AMERICA (GENUS/SPECIES)
WORLD FLORA ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
WIKIPEDIA (GENUS/SPECIES)
USDA PLANTS DATABASE
iNATURALIST
MISSOURI PLANTS
MIDWEST WEEDS AND WILDFLOWERS
MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION
WILDFLOWER SEARCH
BURKE HERBARIUM
GO BOTANY
ILLINOIS WILDFLOWERS
KANSAS WILDFLOWERS AND GRASSES
MARYLAND BIODIVERSITY PROJECT
MINNESOTA WILDFLOWERS
NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY
ONTARIO WILDFLOWERS
PFAF (PLANTS FOR A FUTURE)
SEINet
SONG OF THE WOODS
SOUTHWEST COLORADO WILDFLOWERS
SOUTHWEST DESERT FLORA

NOTE: The data (figures, maps, accepted names, etc.) may not match on these websites. It depends on when and how they make updates and when their sources make updates. Some websites have hundreds and thousands of species to keep up with. Accepted scientific names change periodically and can be hard to keep with. Some of the links may use a name that is a synonym on other sites. In my opinion, Plants of the World Online by Kew is one of the most reliable and up-to-date plant databases and they make updates regularly. I make updates “at least” once a year and when I write new pages or add new photos but I do get behind. We are all a work in progress. 🙂

MORE PHOTOS: