Atriplex glabriuscula
Atriplex glabriuscula var. glabriuscula
bract orache, glabrous orach, scotland orache
northeastern saltbush
green and striped, often blue-green when fresh, weakly ridged, sparsely scurfy to glabrous.
green and striped, often blue-green when fresh, weakly ridged, sparsely scurfy to glabrous.
petiole 0.2–2.5(–3.5) cm;
blade all entire or some or all triangular or lance-hastate with lobes spreading to antrorse, 5–100 × 3–80 mm, base abruptly to narrowly cuneate, entire or irregularly toothed.
opposite only proximally;
petiole 0.3–2.5(–3.5) cm;
blade 5–100 × 3–80 mm, base abruptly to narrowly cuneate, all entire or some or all deltoid-hastate with lobes spreading to antrorse and otherwise entire or irregularly toothed.
in loose glomerules, arranged in foliose, interrupted spikes or axillary, terminating stems and branches.
in loose glomerules, arranged in foliose spikes or axillary, terminating stems and branches.
dimorphic: brown, 2.5–4 mm wide (often the only ones present), or black, (1.2–)1.5–2.9(–3) mm wide;
radicle median, ± antrorse, of brown seed basal and spreading.
dimorphic: brown, 2.5–4 mm wide, often the only ones present, or black, 1.5–2.5 mm wide.
green, becoming black or reddish to yellow brown, sessile or some short stipitate, venation obscure, ovate-triangular to rhombic-triangular, 5–13 mm, margin united almost to middle, with few irregular teeth or entire, apex abruptly acuminate, faces irregularly muricate, tuberculate, or smooth, inflated, spongy inner layer strongly developed at bracteole base.
becoming black or reddish, sessile or nearly so, venation obscure, ovate-triangular to rhombic-triangular, 5–13 mm, margin united almost to middle, with few irregular teeth or entire, apex abruptly acuminate, faces irregularly muricate, tuberculate, or smooth, inflated, spongy inner layer strongly developed at bracteole base.
= 18, 36.
= 18.
Atriplex glabriuscula
Atriplex glabriuscula var. glabriuscula
Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).
Members of the Atriplex glabriuscula complex occupy saline or brackish marshes and saline coastal strands mainly in the eastern maritime provinces of Canada, with extensions in similar habitats into the northeastern United States. They are seldom, if ever, ruderal weeds and appear to be indigenous or perhaps early introduced in some part from similar European habitats. The constituent taxa have been regarded at specific level (P. M. Taschereau 1972; I. J. Bassett et al. 1983). They are, however, alike in all major morphologic features, and are apparently closely allied. For those who wish to treat them at specific level, the names are supplied in the synonymy.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Atriplex glabriuscula is widespread on the Atlantic coast of Europe, whence possibly early or prehistorically introduced as well as potentially indigenous. The distribution of this taxon encompasses completely the geographical distribution of the following two varieties, which occupy salt marshes. Specimens forming the basis of distributional records from Mackenzie, Manitoba, and Ontario are immature, and their identifications are tentative at best. There are numerous examples of plant species with amphi-Atlantic distributions, and A. glabriuscula might well be one of them.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Bracteoles thin throughout; black seeds 2.0-2.9 mm; bracteoles entire or with tooth on each margin, ovate-triangular | var. acadiensis |
1. Bracteoles often if not always spongy-thickened at the base; black seeds rare or lacking, or of various size; bracteoles variously toothed | → 2 |
2. Bracteoles sessile or nearly so; inflorescence with leafy bracts throughout; black seeds rare (or lacking), 1.5-2.5 mm; United States and Canada | var. glabriuscula |
2. Bracteoles, at least some axillary ones, short stipitate; inflorescence with leafy bracts only near base; black seeds 1.2-2 mm; Canada | var. franktonii |
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