Atriplex leucophylla |
Atriplex heterosperma |
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beach saltbush, sea scale, whiteleaf orach |
orach, Russian atriplex, Russian atriplex orach |
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Habit | Herbs, prostrate (decumbent or procumbent), many branched, 1.5–6 dm, somewhat woody below, coarse, white scurfy. | Herbs, monoecious, erect, branching from base, mostly 5–15 dm. |
Leaves | many, sometimes crowded; blade orbiculate to ovate or ovate-lanceolate to elliptic or oblong, 8–40 × 4–18 mm, base obtuse or rounded, white scurfy. |
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. |
Flowers | in terminal or axillary pyramidal panicles 6–25+ cm. |
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Staminate flowers | in dense terminal spikes. |
5-merous, with bracteoles free to base. |
Pistillate flowers | in few-flowered, axillary clusters. |
dimorphic, all bracteolate and lacking sepals. |
Seeds | dark red-brown, 2.5–3 mm. |
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. |
Fruiting | bracteoles not compressed, 5–7 mm, faces usually with wartlike projections, scurfy. |
bracteoles orbiculate-ovate, of 2 sizes; larger ones 5–6 × 5 mm; smaller ones 2 × 2 mm, margin entire, surfaces smooth. |
2n | = 36. |
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Atriplex leucophylla |
Atriplex heterosperma |
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Phenology | Flowering spring–fall. | Flowering summer–fall. |
Habitat | Sea beaches, along coasts, at higher elevation inland | Riparian and palustrine (less commonly ruderal) habitats |
Elevation | 0-30 m (0-100 ft) | 0-2000 m (0-6600 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; Mexico (Baja California)
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CA; CO; ID; ME; NE; NV; NY; OR; SD; UT; WY; AB; BC; MB; ON; QC; Eurasia [Introduced in North America]
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Discussion | Atriplex leucophylla occurs with Potentilla, Camissonia, Ambrosia, Cakile, and Calystegia. (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.) |
Source | FNA vol. 4, p. 366. | FNA vol. 4, p. 336. |
Parent taxa | Chenopodiaceae > Atriplex > subg. Obione > sect. Obione > subsect. Leucophyllae | Chenopodiaceae > Atriplex > subg. Atriplex > sect. Teutliopsis |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Obione leucophylla | |
Name authority | (Moquin-Tandon) D. Dietrich: Syn. Pl. 5: 536. (1852) | Bunge: Beitr. Fl. Russl., 272. (1852) |
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