I. Friis & M.G. Gilbert (1993) Chenopodiaceae. Flora of Somalia 1: 127-140

Plants annual, up to 90 cm tall, usually much branched, mealy, particularly on younger parts but rarely densely so, rarely red-tinged. Leaves petiolate; petioles 16-25 mm long, winged, margins with 5-15 coarse, irregular, usually sharp teeth on each side; blades variable, commonly rhombic to ovate, rarely narrower, (15-(25-60(90) mm long, (8014-42(-70) mm wide, bases cuneate, decurrent into the petioles, tips acute. Inflorescences leafy, with divaricately branched cymes up to 5 cm long, terminal and often from upper acils. Flowers 1-1.5 mm in diameter; perianth segments 5, papillose on the margins and outer surfaces, shortly and bluntly longitudinally keeled near the tops; stamens 5. Fruits falling with the perianth, pericarp very difficult to detach from the seed; seeds 1,2-1.5 mm in diameter, black, somethat shiny, acutely keeled; testa with dense, microscopic, rounded pits.

Chenopodiastrum murale grows in a wide variety of disturbed, sometimes poorly drained sites at 1300-1800 m. It is a cosmopolitan weed that is known from regions N1 and N2 of the Fora of Somalia.  Until 2012, it was called Chenopodium murale and many references continue to use that name.

Awale & Jama (2018). Hordhaca dhirta badhtamaha Soomaalilaand.

Geed hoosaad gu’jire ah oo illaa 60 cm ah. Caleemo talantaalli ah, oo sida leebka u samaysan oo leh hareero si aan caadi ahayn miishaarta u shabbaha. Ubax yaryar oo cagaar/casuus ah oo iyaga oo xidhmooyin ah ku yaalla ruqurta laanta ama baallaha. Midho wareegsan oo leh iniinyo yaryar oo madaw dhalaalaya ah.

Sabo: Dhulka cagta lagu badiyey iyo meelaha waraabka, joog ah illaa 2300 m.

Filiqsanaanta: Xero-u-dhalad ka ah kulaalayaasha dunida qadiimka ah, imika se dhulal badan ka baxa.

 

H. Pickering & A.I. Awale (2018) Introduction to the plants of Central Somaliland

Habit: annual or perennial, to 60 cm tall, much branched, farinose particularly when young.

Leaves: varying from rhombic to ovate, with with 5-25 coarse, teeth on each side.

Flowers: in compact clusters on spikelike panicle branches, farinose, 1-1.5 mm in diameter, green, remaining attached and more or less appressed in fruit

Fruits: horizontal, discoid, 1-seeded, shed with perianth attached; seeds black, shiny, 1-1.5 mm lin diameter

Habitat: Disturbed sites, widespread.

Primary source: Tropical Plants Database; Chenopodiastrum murale.

Food: In reasonable quantities, cooked leaves and seeds of Chenopodiastrum murale are considered very nutritious. They contain saponins and oxalic acid which, in large quantities, are harmful. Cooking reduces these harmful properties. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition (Brown 1995).

Primary source: Plantwise Knowledge Bank

Chenopodiastrum murale is has been described as a minor weed in some areas, as a challenging weed in sustainable agriculture in Asia, and as an invasive species.  It reduced the productivity of many different crop species by outcompeting them for available nutrients. It is also allelopathic and reduces nitrogen fixation in legumes. 

Chenopodiastrum murale reproduces from seed, with each plant having being capable of producing a large number of seeds. The seeds are eaten by birds and probably by small mammals with. While some seeds will be digested, some undoubtedly survive the passage through the digestive tract, ending up in the animal's feces where they are likely to germinate. The annual growth habit and high seed production of Chenopodiastrum murale mean that locally adapted populations are established rapidly. 

Elimination of plants before they produce seed is the best method of control, but it is labor intensive and must be repeated regularly to minimize the change of seed production if a population is to be controlled. Combining mechanical elimination with crop rotation will reduce the likelihood of a crop-adapted population developing. There are herbicides that will kill it, at least initially, but  its high seed prodcution means there will be rapid selection for seeds with herbicide resistance. 

Plants of the World Online (POWO): Chenopodiastrum murale. The distribution map shows the countries where the taxon is considered native or introduced but is now growing in the wild. 

Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF):  Chenopodiastrum murale. Records may be of cultivated specimens

Bown, D. (1995) Encyclopedia of herbs and their uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. ISBN 0-7513-020-31.