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Bassia scoparia (L.) A.J.Scott

Burningbush (en), Bassie à balais (fr), Kochie à balais (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Caryophyllales > Amaranthaceae > Bassia

Characteristics

An annual herb. It grows 50-100 cm high and spreads 20-150 cm wide. The leaves are narrow and flat. They are normally mid green but turn purple-red in late summer. The flowers are small. They are in clusters and the same colour as the leaves. Plants break off and roll like a tumble weed.
Life form annual
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination anemogamy
Spread epizoochory
Mature width (meter) 0.1 - 0.5
Mature height (meter) 0.5 - 1.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c4

Environment

Roadsides, ditches and wasteland in western N. America. Found mainly in grassland, mixed-grass prairie, shortgrass prairie, sagebrush, and desert shrub communities of western North America.
More
It is a temperate climate plant. It needs full sun and a well drained soil. It suits hardiness zones 8-11. In Yunnan. In Sichuan.
Light 7-9
Soil humidity 3-5
Soil texture 3-5
Soil acidity 2-8
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 6-9

Usage

Young plants are edible as a vegetable or potherb. They are also mixed with flour, steamed and seasoned and eaten in summer. They are also fried.
Uses animal food environmental use experimental purposes fodder food forage leaf vegetable material medicinal ornamental poison potherb vertebrate poison
Edible flowers leaves saps seeds shoots
Therapeutic use Anti-bacterial agents (aerial part), Cardiotonic agents (fruit), Diuretics (fruit), Cardiotonic agents (leaf), Diuretics (leaf), Ceremonial Medicine (unspecified), Dermatological Aid (unspecified), Cardiotonic (unspecified), Diuretic (unspecified), Infection (unspecified), Skin (unspecified), Stimulant (unspecified), Tonic (unspecified), Antiphlogistic (unspecified), Astringent (unspecified), Urogenital (unspecified), Anti-bacterial agents (unspecified), Antineoplastic agents (unspecified), Dermatitis (unspecified)
Human toxicity toxic (whole)
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by seedlings.
Mode seedlings
Germination duration (days) 7 - 14
Germination temperacture (C°) 20
Germination luminosity light
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -23
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Leaf

Bassia scoparia leaf picture by Javier (cc-by-sa)
Bassia scoparia leaf picture by emapaul (cc-by-sa)
Bassia scoparia leaf picture by Euphrosyne Beauchamp (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Bassia scoparia flower picture by Asuan (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Bassia scoparia world distribution map, present in Canada, China, France, New Zealand, Pakistan, and United States of America

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:164422-1
WFO ID wfo-0000561206
COL ID KVF9
BDTFX ID 9279
INPN ID 85631
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Kochia sieversiana Kochia densiflora Kochia sicorica Bushiola scoparia Salsola scoparia Atriplex scoparia Bassia sicorica Kochia scoparia f. densiflora Kochia alata Kochia parodii Suaeda sieversiana Bassia sieversiana Chenopodium scoparia Bassia scoparia var. culta Bassia scoparia subsp. culta Bassia scoparia subsp. densiflora Bassia scoparia var. subvillosa Bassia scoparia var. trichophylla Kochia scoparia var. densiflora Kochia scoparia subsp. densiflora Kochia scoparia var. culta Kochia scoparia f. remotiflora Kochia parodii var. densa Kochia parodii var. glabrescen Kochia parodii var. contracta Kochia parodii var. elongata Kochia scoparia Kochia scoparia var. alata Kochia scoparia var. sieversiana Bassia scoparia
WorldFloraDB 2024