Chenopodium giganteum D.Don

Erect annual herb to c. 1 m tall, non-aromatic, eglandular; young parts farinose with the vesicular hairs light violet-purple, becoming efarinose. Petiole to 9 cm long, often purple; lamina 1–3× petiole, 4–11–(16) × 4–11–(12) cm, broadly triangular, sometimes almost rhombic, coarsely and irregularly dentate; teeth acute; base broad-cuneate to truncate; apex obtuse, mucronate, or ± acute; infl. lvs smaller, ± oblong-ovate. Infls paniculate, with terminal and axillary branches; glomerules rather small, globular, few-flowered, strongly farinose. Perianth segments 0.5–1.1 mm long, broad and imbricate, green or purplish on back with broad dorsal hyaline margin, keeled, fused for nearly 1/2 length. Fr. invested by perianth; pericarp easily removed. Seed horizontal, mostly 1.2–1.4 mm diam., circular, compressed; margin obtuse; testa glossy black, very faintly striated.

[From: Webb et al. (1988) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4.]

Flowering: Dec.–May.