Chenopodium littoreum

Coastal goosefoot

Family: Chenopodiaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Coastal goosefoot is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native annual found in southern Central Coast bioregions in sandy coastal dunes at elevations below 40 meters. Flowering from June to October, this plant produces small green flowers in axillary and terminal spikes 5 to 15 centimeters long. Growing with prostrate to ascending stems 5 to 40 centimeters tall, forming mat-like clusters that emerge from the base. Its fleshy leaves are elliptic to lanceolate, 12 to 20 millimeters long, with a tapered base and acute to rounded tip, nearly glabrous on the upper surface and lightly powdery underneath. The tiny dark brown seeds are horizontally positioned and finely wrinkled, with a rounded margin.

Habitat: Generally sandy soils, dunes

Bloom period: Jun-Oct

Elevation: < 40 m

Bioregions: s CCo.

California counties: San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.