Chenopodium album L., Chenopodiaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

Chamorro: kiletes, kilites

Chinese: li

English: Antigua hay grass, Nandi blue grass, Nawai grass, fat hen, giant fat-hen, goosefoot, lamb's quarters, pigweed, silver grass, white goosefoot

Fijian: marvel lahan, marvel mothi

French: ansérine blanche, chénopode blanc, farineuse

Japanese: akaza, iwa-akaza, shiroza, yamā-akaza

Spanish: armuelle, campo, cenizo, cenizo blanco, chual, quinqua del quinquilla, salado

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Annual herbs; stems erect, 5-10 (-15) dm long, with a unusually stout central stem and ascending lateral branches, mealy pubescent or glabrate.  Leaves variable, often rhombic-ovate to lanceolate, more than 1.5 ties longer than wide, 3-6 cm long, 2-3 (-4) cm wide, moderately to densely mealy, margins irregularly sinuate-dentate to entire, apex acute to obtuse, base narrowly to broadly cuneate, petioles ca. 0.5-4 cm long.  Flowers in dense glomerules grouped into dense, nearly leafless, paniculate spikes; calyx ca. 1 mm long, completely enclosing the fruit at maturity, the lobes ovate, weakly or not keeled, mealy pubescent, margins scarious.  Seed horizontal, 1.1-1.5 mm in diameter, margins obtuse, pericarp lightly roughened, not alveolate, usually attached to the seed"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 537).

Habitat/ecology:  "Chenopodium album...is one of the most widely distributed species of weeds in the world and is one of the most successful colonizers as it moves into new areas.  It thrives on all soil types and over a wide range of pH values.  Being a colonizing species it occurs on habitats that have been opened up by disturbances"  (Holm et al., 1977; pp. 84-91).  Better adapted to temperate zones, Chenopodium album is a secondary weed in the tropics (Holm et al., 1977; pp. 84-91).

In Hawai‘i, "sparingly naturalized in the Kula area, Maui" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 537). Sparingly naturalized in Guam (Stone, 1970; p. 266). In New Caledonia, "mauvaise herbe peu commune" (MacKee, 1994; p. 29).  In Papua New Guinea, "a nitrophilous and usually gregarious weed of cultivation; reported from Papuasia as germinating among carrot seed and probably not persisting, at least at lower altitudes"  (Henty, 1981; p. 21).

Propagation:  Seed.  "Large plants have produced 500,000 seeds.  There is no special system of seed dispersal so that most of the seeds drop to the ground.  They are not buoyant, but surface water may wash them into ditches where they can be moved long distances.  They also travel in dung and droppings of animals and birds.  Seeds have been know to survive from 30 to 40 years in soil" (Holm et al., 1977; p. 86).

Native range:  "Probably of European origin" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 537). Europe, western Asia and north Africa; exact native range obscure. Also cultivated (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Norfolk Islands	Norfolk Island	introduced invasive	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 8) "A weed of disturbed soils, recorded only recently and possibly a relatively new arrival". Vouchers cited: W.R. Sykes NI 498 (CHR), W.R. Sykes NI 833 (CHR)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive	Cuevas, Jaime G./Marticorena, Alicia/Cavieres, Lohengrin A. (2004) (p. 535) Voucher cited: JF 73
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (pp. 460, 464, 552)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Santa Clara	introduced invasive	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Santa Clara	introduced invasive	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (pp. 460, 464, 552) Voucher cited: Danton B(441)398
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced invasive	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 266) Sparingly naturalized.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced invasive	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 67)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Staples, George W./Imada, Clyde T./Herbst, Derral R. (2002) (p. 7) Vouchers cited: C. Imada & M. Legrande 2000-21 (BISH), E. Funk s.n. (BISH 662898)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 537) Kula area, Maui Sparingly naturalized.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank L. (2003) (p. 9) West Maui. Voucher cited: Oppenheimer H60156 (BISH, PTBG)
Japan (offshore islands) Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	introduced	Kato, Hidetoshi (2007)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 29)
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	introduced invasive	Henty, E. E., ed. (1981) (pp. 20-21)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	New South Wales	introduced invasive	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013)
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	introduced invasive	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
Australia Australia (continental)	Northern Territory	introduced invasive	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013)
British Columbia (province of Canada) Province of British Columbia	Canada (British Columbia)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Costa Rica (Republic of)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
China China	China (People's Republic of)	uncertain if native invasive	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) "Fields, waste places, roadsides; a difficult weed to control".
China China	China (People's Republic of)		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 81)
China China	Hong Kong	native	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 76)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)		Holm, Leroy G./Plucknett, D. L./Pancho, J. V./Herberger, J. P. (1977) (pp. 87-91)
Japan Japan	Japan	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
Japan Japan	Japan	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 182)
North Korea North Korea	North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
South Korea South Korea	South Korea (Republic of)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 524) "Modified habitats, particularly common in disturbed and open ground, also sandy coastal and inland areas to c. 1000 m".
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Chile (Republic of)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Colombia	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Perú (Republic of)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	introduced invasive	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Oregon)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Washington)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Canada Canada	Canada	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized

Control: 

Physical:  "The species is unable to withstand clipping, and cutting plants during early stages of growth will provide good control".

Chemical:  "An effective herbicide is MCPA"  (Weber, 2003; p. 102).