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truncate saltbrush, wedgescale orache

red orache, tumbling orache

Habit Herbs annual, monoecious, 1.5–5(9) dm, gray-farinose. Herbs annual, monoecious, 1–10(20) dm, grayish farinose to green and glabrate.
Stems

erect to ascending; much branched and spreading.

erect to ascending;

branches simple to much branched throughout, sometimes forming tumbleweeds.

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.

alternate;

blades ovate to lanceolate; (1)1.5–6 × 1–3(3.5) cm, bases broadly cuneate to rounded, sometimes hastate on lower leaves;

margins wavy to coarsely dentate;

tips obtuse, farinose at least on lower surface;

petioles short to subsessile; (0)2–13 mm.

Inflorescences

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

axillary few-flowered clusters and terminal spikes.

Staminate flowers

perianths 4–5-lobed.

perianths 4–5-lobed.

Pistillate flowers

perianths absent, enclosed by 2 bracteoles.

perianths absent, enclosed by 2 bracteoles.

Seeds

monomorphic, 1–1.5 mm, brown.

dimorphic; vertical, 1–2 mm; black; shiny or 2–2.5 mm, brown; dull.

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.

fused to ~ halfway, rhombic to triangular rhombic, bases broadly cuneate to sometimes subhastate;

margins toothed in upper ?;

tips acute to obtuse;

faces smooth or short tuberculate, sessile or with stipe to 5 mm.

2n

=18.

=18.

Atriplex truncata

Atriplex rosea

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.

Disturbed areas, roadsides. Flowering Jul–Sep. 0–1500 m. BR, BW, Col, ECas, Est, Lava, Owy, WV. CA, ID, NV, WA; scattered throughout most of North America; Asia, Europe. Exotic.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 72
Bridget Chipman
Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 71
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. canescens, A. confertifolia, A. dioica, A. gardneri, A. gmelinii, A. hortensis, A. hymenelytra, A. micrantha, A. patula, A. powellii, A. prostrata, A. pusilla, A. truncata
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