CHENOPODIACEZE, (Neo Lat. nom. pl., from Gk. xiir, chin. goose roif, pous. foot). An order of dicotyledonous plants. consisting of herbs and half shrubs, with entire or divided leaves that are destitute of stipules. The flowers are inconspicuous, hermaphrodite, or unisexual : the perianth deeply divided. per sistent: the stamens inserted into its base, oppo site to its segments. and equal to them in num ber, or fewer: the ovary single. free, or occa sionally adhering to the tube of the perianth, with a single ovule attached to the base of the cavity: the style generally with two to four di visions. The fruit is membranous, inclosed in the perianth. which sometimes becomes fleshy. The seed has a curved or spiral embryo. There are about seventy-five genera and five hundred known species, most of which have a weed-like appearance and grow in waste places. They are widely ditru,d over the world, but are partied larly abundant in the northern parts of Europe and Asia. Beet and spinach are among the best known and most useful plants of the order. Many are occasionally used as pot-herbs. as some species of Chempodhim and of ()radio. The fruit of the strawberry Nita (Minim capi latuin and Bliturn riraatura). a common weed in the south of Europe, resembles the strawberry, and has a insipid taste, it is al-o its in America. The seed of quinoa (q.v.1 is
used for food a, a kind of grain. Some members of the order a re it romat ie. See C II EN OPOD1:11.
As most of the species of this order frequent sittmtions where the soil abounds in salt. neces sitating a reduction of transpiration by the plant. many curious devices to prevent too abundant giving off of water are shown. In Salieornia the leaves are wholly suppressed. and the stein is curiously jointed. In many of the leaves are covered with peculiar scales or hairs. giving to the plant a mealy appearance, and structural differences are also present by which water is kept within the plant, so that there is not such a draining of the soil and conse quent absorption of salt as would be expected in Wins growing in salt marshes, etc. Two great groups are formed of the genera—the Cychilobew, in which the embryo is ring-shaped, or horseshoe shaped, and Spirolcbe•, in which the embryo is spirally coiled. Beta. Chenopodium. Spinacia, Atriplex, Kochia. Corispermum, and Salicornia belong to the first gnaw, and Sarcobatus. Sucda. and Salsola to the last.