Kochia scoparia
Common name
Summer cypress, burning bush, firebush
Synonyms
Bassia scoparia
Family
Amaranthaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Conservation status
Not applicable
Detailed description
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
Life cycle
Annual
Year naturalised
1958
Origin
E. Europe to China
Reason for introduction
Ornamental
Etymology
kochia: Wilhelm Daniel Joseph Koch (1771 - 1849), German physician and botanist.