Atriplex coronata |
Atriplex tularensis |
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crownscale, wedgescale |
Bakersfield smallscale, Tulare orach, Tulare saltbush |
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Habit | Herbs, erect or decumbent, 0.5–6 dm; branches terete, fructiferous almost to base, scurfy when young. | Herbs, erect, simple or sparingly branched, 1.5–4(–10) dm, white scurfy. | ||||||||
Stems | aging red, terete or obscurely angled, brittle. |
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Leaves | alternate, subsessile or proximal short petiolate; blade ascending, oblong, oblong-ovate, or lanceolate to elliptic, 5–40 × 2–10 mm, thin, base acute to obtuse, margin entire, apex acute to acuminate. |
alternate or proximalmost opposite; blade lanceolate to ovate, 6–20 × 4–8 mm, base rounded, margin entire, apex acute to acuminate, gray scurfy. |
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Flowers | of both sexes in small axillary glomerules, 5-merous. |
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Staminate flowers | in small axillary dense glomerules, 4-merous. |
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Pistillate flowers | solitary or in small axillary clusters, below or mixed with staminate. |
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Seeds | light brown to amber, 1–1.5 mm. |
dark brown, 1–1.2 mm. |
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Fruiting | bracteoles almost sessile, broadly cuneate, 2–5 × (2–)2.5–5 mm, united to summit, truncate at summit, sides smooth or obscurely tuberculate. |
bracteoles sessile, rhombic-ovate, acute or acuminate, 2.5–3.5 × 2.2–3 mm, united to middle, thin margin toothed, faces plane, scurfy. |
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2n | = 36. |
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Atriplex coronata |
Atriplex tularensis |
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Phenology | Flowering summer–fall. | |||||||||
Habitat | Alkaline plains, edges of alkali sink | |||||||||
Elevation | 90-200 m (300-700 ft) | |||||||||
Distribution |
CA
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CA |
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Discussion | Varieties 3 (3 in the flora). Although placed within the Atriplex argentea species complex by P. C. Standley (1916), this taxon appears more nearly allied to A. cordulata, differing mainly in leaf shape, round-ovate or deltoid-ovate to elliptic or lanceolate (not ovate to cordate-ovate), and markedly tuberculate faces of the fruiting bracteoles. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Of conservation concern. H. M. Hall and F. E. Clements (1923) discussed the relationship of this plant to Atriplex cordulata, noting that, “A. tularensis is a much more slender plant, the leaves are narrower in proportion to their length,” and tapering to the base, never at all cordate. They noted further, that “The fruiting bracts are sometimes very similar in shape, but those of tularensis typically end in an abrupt acute tooth not present in cordulata and both bract and seed are always smaller.” Because of its small fruiting bracteoles it was placed within the Pusillae by P. C. Standley (1916). The erect stature, coupled with distinctive spreading-ascending and stiff (at least in dried material) leaves, and foliose bracts apparently distinguish A. tularensis from A. coronata. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 4. | FNA vol. 4, p. 359. | ||||||||
Parent taxa | Chenopodiaceae > Atriplex > subg. Obione > sect. Obione > subsect. Pusillae | Chenopodiaceae > Atriplex > subg. Obione > sect. Obione > subsect. Pusillae | ||||||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||||||
Subordinate taxa | ||||||||||
Synonyms | A. elegans var. coronata, Obione coronata | A. cordulata var. tularensis, Obione tularensis | ||||||||
Name authority | S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 9: 114. (1874) | Coville: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 4: 182, plate 19. (1893) | ||||||||
Web links |