Winged Pigweed

The original distribution of Cycloloma atriplicifolium may have covered mostly central parts of North America west of the Mississippi River. Current distributions indicate a pattern of expansion. It appears to be spreading in southern Canada, especially the prairie provinces, and in the southeastern United States. Occurrences have been reported in Idaho, Maine, Nevada, New Hampshire, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia, but specimens have not been seen for these states.

Stems 5-80 cm. Leaves: petiole ca. 2-15 mm or absent; blade 2-7(-8) × 0.5-2 cm, base cuneate, margin teeth acute or mucronulate. Perianths 2-4.5 mm diam. (including wing), ± tomentose, often becoming glabrous and reddish. Seeds 1.5 mm diam. 2n = 36.

Man., Ont., Que., Sask.; Ariz., Ark., Calif., Colo., Conn., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Mo., Mont., Nebr., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Okla., Pa., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Utah, Va., W.Va., Wis., Wyo.; n Mexico; introduced casual in Europe and some other parts of the world.

Flowering late summer-fall.

Sandy soils, roadsides, waste places, disturbed and alluvial habitats, fields, deserts and prairies (obligate psammophyte); 0-1500m.

Salsola atriplicifolia Sprengel, Bot. Gart. Halle, Nachtr., 35. 1801; Salsola platyphylla Michaux; Cyclolepis platyphylla (Michaux) Moquin-Tandon; Cycloloma platyphyllum (Michaux) Moquin-Tandon

It is an annual. (Peattie, 1930) Flowering occurs in late summer-fall. (FNA, 2004) Flowering occurs in August, September, and October. (NPIN, 2007)

It often forms tumbleweeds. (Peattie, 1930)

This curious plant is frequent on the beaches of Lake Michigan in the USA. This area would appear to be nearly its most easterly indigenous station. Farther east it is certainly introduced from the Great Plains. (Peattie, 1930) It was introduced casually in Europe and some other parts of the world. The original distribution of Cycloloma atriplicifolium may have covered mostly central parts of North America west of the Mississippi River. Current distributions indicate a pattern of expansion. It appears to be spreading in southern Canada, especially the prairie provinces, and in the southeastern United States. Occurrences have been reported in Idaho, Maine, Nevada, New Hampshire, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia, but specimens have not been seen for these states. (FNA, 2004)

USA: AL , AZ , AR , CA , CO , CT , DE , ID , IL , IN , IA , KS , KY , LA , MD , MA , MI , MN , MS , MO , MT , NE , NV , NJ , NM , NY , NC , ND , OH , OK , PA , SC , SD , TN , TX , UT , VA , WV , WI , WY (NPIN, 2007) Canada: ON (NPIN, 2007)

In chromosomal count 2n = 36. (FNA, 2004)

It grows in sandy soils, roadsides, waste places, disturbed and alluvial habitats, fields, and deserts and prairies. It is an obligate psammophyte (sandy-soil dweller). (FNA, 2004)

It is an annual. (Peattie, 1930)

Overall It is pale green or suffused with purple and is often cobwebby-pubescent. (Peattie, 1930) It is an herb. (NPIN, 2007)

Flowers are purple or greenish. The plant has very small scattered sessile flowers, but they are not inconspicuous. The panicles (flower bearing branches) are open. Flowers are are bractless and perfect or some may be only female. The calyx bears strong keels on the concave lobes. Flowers have 5 stamens, and 3 styles or rarely 2 styles. (Peattie, 1930) Flowers may be tomentose (closely covered with downy hair), often becoming glabrous (hairless) and reddish. (FNA, 2004) Flowers may be yellow. (NPIN, 2007)

Fruit is broadly winged. (Peattie, 1930)

Leaves are simple. (NPIN, 2007) Leaves are lanceolate. They are coarsely, sharply, and irregularly serrate. The leaves are alternate sinuate-toothed and petioled (stemmed). (Peattie, 1930) Petiole may be absent. Leaf base is cuneate (triangular at the base and tapering to a point). At the leaf margin, teeth may be acute or mucronulate (tipped with points). (FNA, 2004)

Stems are much-branched. (Peattie, 1930)

Plant is 10-50 cm tall. (Peattie, 1930)

Flowers are 2-4.5 mm in diameter (including wing). (FNA, 2004)

Fruit Seeds are 1.5 mm in diameter. (FNA, 2004)

Stems 5-80 cm. (FNA, 2004)

Leaves The petiole is ca. 2-15 mm or absent. The leaf blade is 2-8 × 0.5-2 cm. (FNA, 2004)

Native American peoples uses the plant as an analgesic, antirheumatic, and fever reducer. Seeds were used to make a pink dye. The seeds were also used to make flour or other food items. (UM, 2009)