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Photo is of parent taxon

lesser orach

Stems

prostrate or spreading-ascending to erect, often reddish, terete, 0.7–2(–4) dm, scurfy.

Leaves

numerous, imbricate, all or mainly alternate, sessile;

blade ovate or broadly so, (1–)4–10 mm, base rounded to subcordate, margin entire, apex acute.

Flowers

solitary or few in axils, staminate 4-merous.

Seeds

reddish brown, 0.8–0.9 mm.

Fruiting

bracteoles deciduous, rounded-deltoid, compressed, 2–3 mm and as broad or broader, somewhat hastately lobed at base and denticulate or crenulate, acute or acuminate at apex, sides smooth.

Atriplex parishii var. minuscula

Phenology Flowering late summer–fall.
Habitat Sandy saline substrates
Elevation 20-60 m (100-200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Atriplex parishii var. minuscula occurs with Distichlis spicata, Centromadia pungens, Suaeda moquin-tandonii, Spergularia macrotheca:, Frankenia salina, Sporobolus airoides, and other annual Atriplex species. Plants of this variety are sympatric with those of var. subtilis and evidently maintain their integrity even when growing together. This species shares morphologic features with A. cordulata, which suggests a relationship in that direction.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 4, p. 356.
Parent taxa Chenopodiaceae > Atriplex > subg. Obione > sect. Obione > subsect. Pusillae > Atriplex parishii
Sibling taxa
A. parishii var. depressa, A. parishii var. parishii, A. parishii var. persistens, A. parishii var. subtilis
Synonyms A. minuscula
Name authority (Standley) S. L. Welsh: Rhodora 102: 423. (2001)
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