Oxybasis rubra var. rubra
Red goosefoot
Family: Chenopodiaceae · Type: Annual · Native
Oxybasis rubra var. rubra (Red goosefoot) is a native California annual in the Chenopodiaceae family, recognized by naturalized variety with erect habit and deeply toothed leaves.
Red goosefoot is a naturalized annual found in the northern Coast Ranges, North Coast, Cascade Range, Tehama County, Central Valley, central Coast, San Francisco Bay Area, southern California, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert regions in open, saline places and drying mud flats at elevations below 1,100 meters. Flowering from August to October, this plant produces small, inconspicuous greenish-red flowers. Growing with erect to ascending stems 10 to 50 centimeters tall, it forms a delicate, branching structure. Its leaves have deeply toothed margins, creating a distinctive serrated appearance that helps distinguish it from other annual plants. The tiny seeds are approximately one millimeter in diameter, allowing for wide dispersal in its saline habitat.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 28 sympatric species; naturalized variety with erect habit and deeply toothed leaves
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open, saline places, drying mud flats
Elevation: < 1100 m
Outside California: to Canada, eastern United States, Mexico, Eurasia
Bloom period
Oxybasis rubra var. rubra blooms Aug-Oct.
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 Oxybasis rubra var. rubra native to California?
Yes. Oxybasis rubra var. rubra is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Oxybasis rubra var. rubra bloom?
Oxybasis rubra var. rubra blooms Aug-Oct.
What plant family does Oxybasis rubra var. rubra belong to?
Oxybasis rubra var. rubra is in the Chenopodiaceae family, genus Oxybasis.
What habitat does Oxybasis rubra var. rubra grow in?
Oxybasis rubra var. rubra grows in Open, saline places, drying mud flats.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Oxybasis salina — Oak leaved goosefoot
- Oxybasis chenopodioides — Low goosefoot
- Oxybasis macrosperma — Largeseed goosefoot
- Oxybasis rubra — Red pigweed
- Oxybasis rubra var. humilis — Red goosefoot
- Salicornia bigelovii — Bigelow's pickleweed
- Salicornia depressa — Virginia glasswort
- Salicornia pacifica — Glasswort
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-06
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.