Chenopodium berlandieri
Pitseed goosefoot, Pitseed Goosefoot
(c) Michael Hermann, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Chenopodiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Chenopodium berlandieri (Pitseed goosefoot) is a native California herb in the Chenopodiaceae family, recognized by distinctive honeycomb-pitted fruit wall and seeds.
Pitseed goosefoot is a California native annual found in various habitats across the state's diverse landscapes. Flowering from summer to fall, this plant produces small, inconspicuous green flowers in dense branched spikes 5 to 17 centimeters long. Growing 10 to 60 centimeters tall with a branching, upright form, it has a distinctive powdery appearance. Its leaves are lanceolate to diamond-shaped, typically 15 to 30 millimeters long, with two subtle lobes near the base and slightly toothed edges. The tiny seeds are black with a distinctive honeycomb-pitted surface, characteristic of this unique goosefoot species.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 30 sympatric species - distinctive honeycomb-pitted fruit wall and seeds are diagnostic
Habitat and range
California counties: Riverside, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Orange, Ventura, Shasta, Kern, El Dorado, Mono, Stanislaus, Imperial, Placer, Yolo, Colusa, Amador, San Francisco, Nevada, Alpine, Lassen, Modoc, Fresno, Madera, Plumas, Santa Barbara, Butte, Sierra, Siskiyou, Lake, Napa, Santa Clara, Monterey, Inyo, Santa Cruz, Alameda, Contra Costa, Tuolumne, San Mateo, San Benito, Merced, Sacramento, Sonoma, Solano
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 berlandieri native to California?
Yes. Chenopodium berlandieri is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Chenopodium berlandieri grow?
Chenopodium berlandieri occurs in Riverside, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Orange, Ventura, Shasta and other counties.
What plant family does Chenopodium berlandieri belong to?
Chenopodium berlandieri is in the Chenopodiaceae family, genus Chenopodium.
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.