Species
Kochia scoparia
Etymology
Kochia: Wilhelm Daniel Joseph Koch (1771 - 1849), German physician and botanist.
Common Name(s)
summer cypress, burning bush, firebush
Authority
Kochia scoparia (L.) Schrad.
Family
Amaranthaceae
Flora Category
Vascular - Exotic
Structural Class
Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites
Synonyms
Bassia scoparia
Features
Annual plant with a deep taproot. The erect, much-branched stems are smooth below but usually hairy above. The alternate, simple leaves are pubescent to nearly glabrous, lanceolate to linear with hairy margins, and without petioles. The small green flowers lack petals and are found in clusters in the axils of the upper leaves and in terminal spikes. The brown flattened seeds are grooved on each side.
Flower Colours
Green
Year Naturalised
1958
Origin
E. Europe to China
Reason for Introduction
Ornamental
Life Cycle and Dispersal
Annual
This page last updated on 26 Aug 2013