Kochia
Common Name: Kochia
Other Names: Mexican Fireweed
Species Name: Kochia scoparia
Plant Type: Broadleafs/Herbaceous
Family Name: Chenopodiaceae
Examples of Kochia Kochia scoparia
| Plant Facts | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Introduced, Asia |
| Duration | Annual |
| Season | Warm |
| Distribution in the U.S. | Common throughout the Great Plains |
| Distribution in Oklahoma | Found in most parts of the state |
ID Characteristics
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Field Identification Characteristics
- Leaves are narrowly ovate, flat, 1-5 prominent veins; margins entire, fringed with hairs; surfaces nearly without hair to pubescent; short-petioled
- Stems are erect, highly branched, turning red with age, surfaces without hair to pubescent
- Inflorescence is a spike and is axillary and terminal
- Seed is very small in size, oval in shape, and brown to black in color
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Leaf and Stem Characteristics
- Leaf Type: Simple
- Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
- Leaf Shape: Linear
- Stipules: Absent
-
Floral Characteristics
- Petal Number: 5, winged; paired in leaf-like bracts, enveloped by tufts of hair
- Flower Color: Green
- Flower Timing: July-October
- Fruit Type: Utricle, globose, calyx persistent; seeds 1
- Inflorescence: Spike, axillary and terminal
| Habitat/Ecology | |
|---|---|
| Habitat | Cultivated fields, gardens, roadsides, ditchbanks and waste areas |
| Successional Stage |