Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Section: Common Name: Scientific Name: Family:
Account for Lamb's-quarters - Chenopodium album   L.
Members of Chenopodiaceae:
Members of Chenopodium with account distribution info or public map:
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Section 6 » Order Caryophyllales » Family Chenopodiaceae
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AuthorL.
DistributionThroughout the state; undoubtedly in every county.

More-or-less throughout N.A., and on every continent except Antarctica. FNA says "probably mostly native in Europe." Weakley (2018) suggests that there are native races here in N.A., but that [genetic] research needs to be carried out to identify them.
AbundanceGenerally common to locally abundant statewide, except uncommon in the Sandhills. Note that although the editors and this website follow Weakley (2018), and thus give a State Rank for now as S5 (i.e., native and common to abundant), but in reality it might be just as easily be ranked as SE? (probably exotic).
HabitatHighly disturbed sites, such as waste lots, fallow fields, clearings, scrapes, roadsides, gardens, municipal flower beds, railroads, etc. The species certainly "behaves" as an exotic species, which most references state or suggest.
PhenologyFlowering and fruiting June - November.
IdentificationLamb's-quarters is notable for the whitish coloring of the plant, due the covering of a powdery substance (farinose condition) on all parts. In many plants, stems and leaves may also be tinged red-purple. Stems may be simple or much-branched above. Stem leaves are triangular to narrowly triangular or rhombic in outline, usually with sinuous teeth. The inflorescence is partly terminal and partly from axils of narrow leaflike bracts. C. berlandieri is also relatively farinose, and some varieties of it may be hard to tell from Lamb's-quarters; the former has seeds pitted like a honeycomb, but smooth in the latter.
Taxonomic CommentsFor discussion of infraspecific taxa, see FNA Vol. 4.

Members of the genus are often found in saline to brackish sites, but also fallow fields, waste lots, and other highly disturbed places. Each flower produces male and female parts plus a calyx; they are very small and not at all showy. Weakley's (2018) key must be used with care, and a dissecting scope is almost essential for successful identification.
Other Common Name(s)Pigweed, Baconweed
State Rank[S5]
Global RankG5
State Status
US Status
USACE-agcpFACU link
USACE-empFACU link
County Map - click on a county to view source of record.
Photo Gallery
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B.A. SorrieMoore Co., edge of pasture, Haw Branch Road, plants 3-6 feet tall, June 2022. MoorePhoto_natural
B.A. SorrieRoadside, Spicewood Road, S of NC 211, Sept 2020. MoorePhoto_natural
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