OregonFlora: Atriplex semibaccata vs. Atriplex truncata

	Atriplex semibaccata	Atriplex truncata
		truncate saltbrush, wedgescale orache
Habit		Herbs annual, monoecious, 1.5–5(9) dm, gray-farinose.
Stems		erect to ascending; much branched and spreading.
Leaves		alternate; lowermost sometimes opposite; blades triangular-ovate or rhombic to suborbicular, 1.2–3.2 × 1–2.7 cm, bases truncate, subtruncate, subhastate, or rounded; margins entire; tips rounded to truncate, gray-farinose on both surfaces, sessile or short-petiolate distally to 6 mm.
Inflorescences		axillary clusters of flowers arranged in short spikes; upper clusters staminate or sometimes mixed with pistillate flowers.
Staminate flowers		perianths 4–5-lobed.
Pistillate flowers		perianths absent, enclosed by 2 bracteoles.
Seeds		monomorphic, 1–1.5 mm, brown.
Fruiting bracteoles		fused to tips; shield-shaped, 2.4–3 mm; tips truncate with 3 shallow teeth; faces smooth or with 1–2 short tubercles, sessile to substipitate.
2n		=18.

	Atriplex semibaccata	Atriplex truncata
Distribution	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Discussion		Meadows, near lakes or streams. Flowering Jun–Aug. 300–1500 m. BR, BW, ECas, Lava, Owy. CA, ID, NV, WA; north into British Columbia, northeast to Saskatchewan, east to WY, southeast to NM. Native.
Source		Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 72 Bridget Chipman
Sibling taxa	A. argentea, A. canescens, A. confertifolia, A. dioica, A. gardneri, A. gmelinii, A. hortensis, A. hymenelytra, A. micrantha, A. patula, A. powellii, A. prostrata, A. pusilla, A. rosea, A. truncata	A. argentea, A. canescens, A. confertifolia, A. dioica, A. gardneri, A. gmelinii, A. hortensis, A. hymenelytra, A. micrantha, A. patula, A. powellii, A. prostrata, A. pusilla, A. rosea
Web links	Local floras: CA, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Atriplex semibaccata

Atriplex truncata

truncate saltbrush, wedgescale orache

Habit

Herbs annual, monoecious, 1.5–5(9) dm, gray-farinose.

Stems

erect to ascending; much branched and spreading.

Leaves

alternate; lowermost sometimes opposite;

blades triangular-ovate or rhombic to suborbicular, 1.2–3.2 × 1–2.7 cm, bases truncate, subtruncate, subhastate, or rounded;

margins entire;

tips rounded to truncate, gray-farinose on both surfaces, sessile or short-petiolate distally to 6 mm.

Inflorescences

axillary clusters of flowers arranged in short spikes; upper clusters staminate or sometimes mixed with pistillate flowers.

Staminate flowers

perianths 4–5-lobed.

Pistillate flowers

perianths absent, enclosed by 2 bracteoles.

Seeds

monomorphic, 1–1.5 mm, brown.

Fruiting bracteoles

fused to tips; shield-shaped, 2.4–3 mm;

tips truncate with 3 shallow teeth;

faces smooth or with 1–2 short tubercles, sessile to substipitate.

=18.

Atriplex semibaccata

Atriplex truncata

Distribution

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Meadows, near lakes or streams. Flowering Jun–Aug. 300–1500 m. BR, BW, ECas, Lava, Owy. CA, ID, NV, WA; north into British Columbia, northeast to Saskatchewan, east to WY, southeast to NM. Native.

Source

Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 72
Bridget Chipman

Sibling taxa