Species:
	Chenopodium detestans
Common Name(s):
	New Zealand fish-guts plant
Threat Status:
	Nationally Critical
Status 2004:
	Data Deficient
Authority:
	Chenopodium detestans Kirk
Qualifiers:
	TO, EF, DP
Family:
	Amaranthaceae
Flora Category:
	Vascular - Native
Synonyms:
	None
Distribution:
	Indigenous to New Zealand, South Island only . Historically the species ranged from Canterbury to Otago. Recent (post 1980) collections have only been made from Lake Lyndon (first discovered by T. Kirk in 1877) and the upper Waitaki Valley. In those days this area was extensively farmed for sheep and cattle, and while this was the case C. detestans was common on the shores of Lake Lyndon, in sites frequented by these animals. The species has been found in New South Wales, Australia where it may have naturalised.
Habitat:
	Open or sparsely-vegetated ground such as clay and salt plans, dried out river and lake beds.
Features:
	Annual to short-lived perennial prostrate, grey-green to reddish-grey, fleshy herb forming patches up to 800 mm diameter, and arising from a stout central, deeply descending tap root. All parts strongly fetid, smelling of rotten fish. Branches 2-8, grey-green, with stems and emergent leaves often suffused with red, rather stiff, margins often distored by fungus pustules. Emergent foliage grey-farinose, maturing grey-green or reddish-grey, rather fleshy; leaves rhombic, or rhomboid-ovate, usually entire except for the basal stem leaves which often possess 1 pair of teeth, apex acute. Flowers grey-green in dense axillary to terminal spike-like clusters, stigma white. Perianth segments 4-5, 0.5-1.0 mm long, divided almost to base, obtuse, scarcely accrescent, incompletely investing fruits. Stamens 1-2 sulphur yellow, not fused at base. Seed, circular, 1-1.2 mm diameter, dark purple-brown to black brown, minutely punctate, margins rounded (obtuse), aligned horizontally in perianth.
Similar Taxa:
	The introduced Chenopodium vulvaria (fish-guts plant) is a very similar, equally smelly plant, which can only be reliably distinguished from C. detestans by its 5 rather than 1-2 stamens, and sharp (acute) rather than rounded seed margins.
Flowering:
	September – March
Fruiting:
	December - May
Propagation Technique:
	As far as is known no one has successfully grown this species. There have been a few attempts to transplant wild plants and strike cuttings but these failed because the plants/cuttings were given to much water. Seed should germinate easily.
Threats:
	As far as is known C. detestans has declined mainly because of a loss of suitable open, sparsely-vegetated habitats. This seems to have been the result of the spread of introduced pasture grasses and weeds, and changes in land use, especially stocking levels. The only recent collections have come from well-stocked sheep farms in the upper Waitaki Valley, where it grows on clay and salt pans. Possibly because of its foul smell the species does not seem to be palatable to livestock, so livestock may help reduce competition from other taller, more palatable plants.
Endemic Taxon:
	?Yes
Endemic Genus:
	No
Endemic Family:
	No

Where To Buy
Not Commercially Available.

Cultural Use/Importance
Description based on live plants and herbarium specimens

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Last updated: 18 Jan 2010