Chenopodium album
Common lambsquarters is a common introduced species to North America and is classified as naturalized in the United States by the USDA (USDA, 2014). It is common to disturbed sites and the perimeters of agriculture fields.
Lambsquarters is in the goosefoot family and is a highly competitive annual. The flowers are inconspicuous and grey-green. The entire plant is covered with fine hairs. The plant varies in size from 6 inches to 6 feet; this variation is dependent on the availability of resources, especially water. Leaves vary in size and shape but primarily are triangular (Whitson, et al., 1999).
Lambsquarters is abundant around the world and the early leaves are used as a food source. It is also the host of beet-leaf hoppers which are a pest of sugar beets and transmit pathogens (Whitson, et al., 1999).
USDA, NRCS. 2014. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 18 March 2014). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
Whitson, Tom D., et al. ‘Weeds of the West’ 5th ed. (1999), Western Society of Weed Science
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