Atriplex confertifolia
Atriplex heterosperma
shadscale, shadscale saltbush, sheepfat, spiny saltbush
orach, Russian atriplex, Russian atriplex orach
persistent, alternate;
petiole 1–4 mm;
blade orbiculate to ovate, elliptic, or oval, 9–25(–45) × 4–20(–25) mm, margin entire, apex obtuse.
alternate except proximal-most;
petiole 2–3 cm;
blade green on both sides, triangular to lance-triangular, 30–120 × 12–90 mm, hastate or subcuneate, margin subentire or irregularly dentate, farinaceous at first, finally glabrous.
in terminal or axillary pyramidal panicles 6–25+ cm.
yellow, in clusters 2–4 mm wide or in spikes to 1 cm, axillary, in foliose-bracteate, divaricately branched panicles 3–15 cm.
5-merous, with bracteoles free to base.
in similar paniculate inflorescences.
dimorphic, all bracteolate and lacking sepals.
1.5–2 mm wide.
vertical; of larger bracteoles yellowish brown, flat, 2–3 mm wide, dull; of smaller bracteoles black, 1.5 mm wide or less, shiny;
radicle inferior, basal.
bracteoles sessile or subsessile, suborbiculate to rhombic or elliptic, 4–12 mm and wide, body indurate, terminal teeth distinct, foliaceous, shorter than bracteoles, entire or toothed below, terminal teeth spreading at maturity, faces smooth, lacking appendages.
bracteoles orbiculate-ovate, of 2 sizes;
larger ones 5–6 × 5 mm;
smaller ones 2 × 2 mm, margin entire, surfaces smooth.
= 18, 36, 54+.
= 36.
Atriplex confertifolia
Atriplex heterosperma
Shadscale forms hybrids with Atriplex canescens, A. garrettii, A. corrugata, and A. gardneri varieties. It is, however, closely allied to A. parryi and A. spinifera. The plants are widely dispersed, typically on saline substrates but less commonly on essentially non-saline ones, through large areas of the western United States and adjacent Canada and Mexico, on both raw and exposed geological strata and on alluvium.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Russian atriplex occurs with greasewood, saltgrass, cottonwood, tamarix, and weedy annuals. It is a handsome, vigorous ruderal, weedy annual indigenous to Europe east to Chinese Turkestan that appears to be invading saline lowland and other disturbed areas throughout much of North America. It is similar to Atriplex prostrata from which it can be distinguished by the entire margin and smooth surfaces of the fruiting bracteoles. Additionally, the leaves are thick-textured and often bear one or more lobes or teeth irregularly along the blade above the subbasal main hastate lobe. The staminate spikes when young are very slender, mainly less than 2.5 mm thick.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
SW CO Wildflowers- 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
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