Fruiting bodies and leaves. Photo: Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Plant. Photo: Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Common Name

Purple Goosefoot, Purple Leaved Goosefoot, Starry Goosefoot; Lambs Tongue

Family

Chenopodiaceae

Notes

Annual, or occasionally short lived perennial, forb, prostrate or sprawling to 15cm tall.  Leaves and stems somewhat succulent. Leaves in a rosette at the base of the plant and alternating along the stems, blades to 3cm long, flat, hairless, margins 1-2 toothed or entire. Basal leaves broadly stem clasping, with 3-lobed tips.  Flowers tiny (less than 3mm across), in dense clusters at the bases of the leaves. 

Description and photo in G.M. Cunningham, WE Mulham, PL Milthorpe and J H Leigh (1981 and later printings) Plants of Western New South Wales. page 280

PlantNet description:   http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Scleroblitum~atriplicinum