This species is a pantropical weed that has been found at scattered sites across southeastern states (especially s. Fla. and s. Tex.), but also north to Pa., N.Y. and Mass., often in association with greenhouses (K, W). It has been recently collected by P. Adanick (21Sep2018 for APSC), from around greenhouses at Eastern Ky. Univ. (MADI), and he has observed the species at several other greenhouses or florists across Ky. (BARR, BOON, FAYE, JESS, KENT, ROWA etc.). A. blitum is easily confused with blitoides, but can be dstinguished (Costea & Tardif 2003, Y. W) by its indehiscent fruits (versus circumscissile); by its flowers with 2-3 tepals (versus 4-5); and by its rhombic-ovate leaves that are emarginate or bilobed (versus obovate-spathulate to oblong-lanceolate); 2n = 34 (versus 32). The species has much history of edible and medicinal uses, and selections are sometimes cultivated (Costea & Tardif 2003). Based on DNA analysis it belongs to a largely "Eurasian / South African / Australian" clade that is distinct from the rest of traditional subgenus Albersia (Waselkov et al. 2018) .Intraspecific taxa are sometimes recognized; see notes under ssp. emarginatus.