Chenopodiaceae

Abstract

Annual or perennial, often halophytic herbs, sometimes shrubs or small trees. Stems often succulent, sometimes articulate. Leaves alternate or opposite, often succulent, well-developed or reduced, exstipulate; blades simple, flat or semi-cylindrical, rarely cylindrical, usually entire, sometimes dentate, lobed, or pinnatifid, glabrous or with glandular or eglandular hairs. Flowers bisexual or unisexual and then plants monoecious or more rarely dioecious, actinomorphic, in clusters of 3 or more, sometimes reduced to 1, in cymose partial inflorescences, these often arranged in spikes, panicles, or cymes. Bracts and bracteoles often present, the latter often accrescent and variously modified in fruit. Perianth uniseriate, sometimes wanting, typically of 5 or fewer (rarely up to 8) tepals, free, connate near the base, free, or connate almost to apex, herbaceous to membranous, rarely scarious, persisting in fruit or not, sometimes accrescent and variously appendaged. Stamens 5 or fewer, epitepalous; filaments usually distinct, sometimes basally united into a hypogynous, ± fleshy disk; anthers tetrasporangiate, dehiscing by longitudinal slits, usually introrse and dorsally attached, sometimes with a bladdery appendage at apex of connective; hypogynous disk often with more or less distinct interstaminal lobes often interpreted as staminodes.