Chenopodium atrovirens
Dark green goosefoot
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Chenopodiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Chenopodium atrovirens (Dark green goosefoot) is a native California herb in the Chenopodiaceae family, recognized by native species with distinctive upturned petioles and 3-veined leaves.
Dark green goosefoot is a California native annual found in northwestern California, the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, San Bernardino Mountains, Peninsular Ranges, Great Basin, and northern Mojave Desert in open places, scrub, woodland, and conifer forest at elevations of 300 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces small green flowers in dense clusters along axillary and terminal spikes. Growing with many-branched erect stems 7 to 60 centimeters tall, it spreads widely from its base. Its leaves are narrowly oblong or elliptic, 9 to 25 millimeters long, with a strongly upcurved petiole and occasionally having 1 to 2 small lobes near the base. The fruit is small, smooth, and approximately 1 to 1.5 millimeters in diameter, with a loose wall that detaches as it ages.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 28 sympatric species - native species with distinctive upturned petioles and 3-veined leaves
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open places, scrub, woodland, conifer forest
Elevation: 300-3500 m
California counties: San Diego, Fresno, San Joaquin, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Mono, Inyo, El Dorado, Lassen, Tulare, Riverside, Glenn, Siskiyou, Alpine, Nevada, Placer, Kern, Madera, Mariposa, Humboldt, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Tehama, Tuolumne, Butte, Ventura, Amador, Santa Barbara
Outside California: to Wyoming, central United States, New Mexico
Bloom period
Chenopodium atrovirens blooms Jul-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Chenopodiastrum: Chenopodium has mealy coating; Chenopodiastrum is smooth to slightly hairy without mealy texture.; vs Atriplex: Chenopodium has perfect flowers; Atriplex has separate male/female flowers with paired bracts on fruits.; vs Blitum: Chenopodium has dry fruits; Blitum has fleshy, berry-like fruiting calyxes.; vs Amaranthus: Chenopodium has mealy coating; Amaranthus is smooth with dense bristly flower spikes.; vs Rumex: Chenopodium has 5-parted flowers in clusters; Rumex has 6-parted flowers in whorls.
Frequently asked questions
Is Chenopodium atrovirens native to California?
Yes. Chenopodium atrovirens is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Chenopodium atrovirens bloom?
Chenopodium atrovirens blooms Jul-Sep.
Where in California does Chenopodium atrovirens grow?
Chenopodium atrovirens occurs in San Diego, Fresno, San Joaquin, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Mono, Inyo, El Dorado and other counties, at elevations of 300-3500 m.
What plant family does Chenopodium atrovirens belong to?
Chenopodium atrovirens is in the Chenopodiaceae family, genus Chenopodium.
What habitat does Chenopodium atrovirens grow in?
Chenopodium atrovirens grows in Open places, scrub, woodland, conifer forest.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.