Black crumbweed facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Black crumbweed |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Dysphania (plant)
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| Species: |
melanocarpa
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| Synonyms | |
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Chenopodium melanocarpum |
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Dysphania melanocarpa, also known as black crumbweed, is a small plant that lives for about a year. It's a type of herb that grows in dry and partly dry areas of Australia.
Contents
What Does Black Crumbweed Look Like?
Black crumbweed is a plant that spreads out low to the ground. It has stems that are a bit hairy and branch out from its base. Its leaves are shaped like ovals and are about 15 millimetres (about half an inch) long. The plant also has a nice smell.
Flowers and Seeds
Its tiny flowers grow in thick groups. You can find these flower clusters where the leaves meet the stem, which is called the axil.
How Black Crumbweed Got Its Name
This plant was first described in 1922 by a scientist named John McConnell Black. He first thought it was a type of Chenopodium plant. Later, in 1934, he decided it was different enough to be its own species.
In 2008, two other scientists, Sergei L. Mosyakin and Steven E. Clemants, moved this plant into a different group of plants called Dysphania. This is why its full scientific name is now Dysphania melanocarpa.
Where Does Black Crumbweed Grow?
Black crumbweed lives in the dry and semi-dry parts of Australia. It usually grows in soil that drains water well, meaning the water doesn't stay soggy around its roots.
