OregonFlora: Atriplex truncata vs. Atriplex canescens

	Atriplex truncata	Atriplex canescens
	truncate saltbrush, wedgescale orache	four-winged saltbush
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 truncata	Atriplex canescens
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. argentea, 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
Subordinate taxa		A. canescens var. canescens
Web links	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	Local floras: 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 truncata

Atriplex canescens

truncate saltbrush, wedgescale orache

four-winged saltbush

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 truncata

Atriplex canescens

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