Hians goosefoot facts for kids

Chenopodium hians is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the Amaranthaceae family, which includes many different kinds of plants. People often call this plant hians goosefoot or gaping goosefoot. The name hians comes from Latin and means "gaping," which describes how its flowers look.

Where This Plant Grows

This plant naturally grows across the western part of North America. You can find it from British Columbia in Canada, all the way down through California, and over to Texas in the United States. It likes to grow in many open places, whether they are wet or dry. You might even spot it in areas where the ground has been disturbed, like next to roads.

What This Plant Looks Like

Chenopodium hians is an annual herb. This means it grows from a seed, flowers, produces new seeds, and then dies all within one year. It can grow up to 80 centimeters (about 31 inches) tall. Its stem stands straight up and has many branches.

The plant often feels powdery, especially on its leaves and flowers. Its leaves are usually about 3 centimeters (a little over an inch) long. They are shaped like an oval or a spear, and their edges are smooth.

The plant's flowers grow in a special arrangement called an inflorescence. This looks like a spike or a cluster of flowers a few centimeters long. These tiny flowers are packed together very tightly. Each flower has five small parts, or lobes, and it wraps around the fruit as it starts to grow.