Chenopodium nevadense
Nevada goosefoot
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Chenopodiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Chenopodium nevadense (Nevada goosefoot) is a native California herb in the Chenopodiaceae family, recognized by distinctive spherical branching pattern in fruit, very small seeds, limited east slope range.
Nevada goosefoot is a California native annual found in the central Sierra Nevada (eastern slope) and eastern Sierra Nevada in washes and scrub at elevations of 1,400 to 2,000 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces small, inconspicuous flowers in axillary and terminal panicle-like clusters. Growing with many-branched stems 15 to 40 centimeters tall that fork in pairs, it develops a spherical shape when fruiting. Its leaves are distinctive, with ovate to diamond-shaped blades 6 to 18 millimeters long, often with two spreading lobes and a powdery undersurface. The plant produces tiny black seeds less than one millimeter long, horizontally attached within a minutely textured fruit wall.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 26 sympatric species - distinctive spherical branching pattern in fruit, very small seeds, limited east slope range
Habitat and range
Habitat: Washes, scrub
Elevation: 1400-2000 m
California counties: Mono, Inyo, Tulare
Outside California: southeastern Oregon, Nevada
Bloom period
Chenopodium nevadense blooms Jun-Aug.
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 nevadense native to California?
Yes. Chenopodium nevadense is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Chenopodium nevadense bloom?
Chenopodium nevadense blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Chenopodium nevadense grow?
Chenopodium nevadense occurs in Mono, Inyo, Tulare, at elevations of 1400-2000 m.
What plant family does Chenopodium nevadense belong to?
Chenopodium nevadense is in the Chenopodiaceae family, genus Chenopodium.
What habitat does Chenopodium nevadense grow in?
Chenopodium nevadense grows in Washes, scrub.
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.