Jerusalem Oak Goosefoot

Aromatic annual, 5-40(-70) cm, densely hairy, most hairs stalked, glandular. Stems erect, usually with several ascending branches, main axis sometimes shorter than some of the branches. Leaves dull green, somewhat glaucous, blade 1-7 cm, elliptic to ovate in outline, cuneate to subcordate at base, obtuse at apex, pinnatifid with 2-5 broad lobes and several teeth on each side; lower leaves sometimes repand. Inflorescence elongate, main axis to 5 cm wide, terminal, composed of mostly leafless dense dichasial cymes, or axillary with smaller cymes. Terminal flowers solitary, larger and earlier flowering than lateral ones. Perianth segments 5, c. 1 x 0.5 mm, elliptic to ovate, acuminate, free to base, often not contiguous at base, herbaceous with membranous margins, often whitish in fruit, weakly keeled, with stalked glandular hairs on back. Stamens 1-5. Stigmas 2. Pericarp free. Seeds horizontal, black, 0.6-0.8 mm, round in outline, margin rounded often truncate in part; testa almost smooth.

Europe, N. Africa, N. W. Asia., Himalaya.

Distribution: Mediterranean area to SW and C Asia and NW India; introduced and naturalized in C Europe, S Africa (?) and N America.

4000 m

Fl. & Fr. Per.: April-August (-October).

Semi-desert, mountain slopes, meadows, riverbeds, river and salt-lake shores, fields, roadsides. 600-3700 m.

Ambrina botrys (L.) Moq. Chenop. Enum.: 37. 1840.

Annual up to 50 cm, mostly branched from the base, green or yellowish-green; stem and leaves densely covered with simple (up to 0.3 mm long) and glandular hairs. Lower leaves long-petiolate, up to 6.0(7.0–10.0) cm, pinnatifid; middle and upper leaves shorter, up to 5.0 cm, sometimes almost entire and crisp, very aromatic. Inflorescence up to 20 cm long with ± dense indumentum consisting of curved simple (up to 0.3 mm) hairs partially intermixed with glandular hairs. Perianth segments 5, free, 0.7–0.8 × 0.5 mm; their dorsal part with glandular hairs (up to 0.125 mm long) having scaphoid terminal cell and with scattered stout simple hairs up to 0.075 mm (Fig. 23A). Fruit 0.6–0.8 mm, subspherical; pericarp with minute, wart-like papillae (Fig. 23B); seed blackish, slightly keeled; embryo horizontal.

See Fig. 24.