Atriplex parishii
Atriplex parishii var. parishii
Parish's brittlescale, Parish's saltbush, Parrish's brittlescale
Parishes' orach
erect or spreading to prostrate, 0.5–2 dm;
branches almost horizontal, fragile, white scurfy, appearing almost pubescent, becoming sparingly villous in inflorescence.
numerous, all or nearly all opposite or almost all alternate, distal ones imbricate or widely separated, tending to recurve;
blade lanceolate to ovate, (2–)4–10 × 3–8 mm, rigid, base mostly rounded to cordate, margin entire, gray to white, densely scurfy (or hairy).
numerous, opposite or alternate, distal ones imbricate, sessile;
blade gray to white, lanceolate to ovate, (2–)4–10 × 3–5 mm, rigid, base rounded, margin entire, densely scurfy.
mostly in distal axils pistillate in proximal axils, or mostly in terminal spike (var. persistens), or partly so (var. subtilis).
mostly in distal axils pistillate in proximal axils.
dark brown or almost black, 0.8–1.5 mm.
dark brown or almost black, 1.2 mm.
bracteoles sessile, ovate or rhombic, slightly compressed to thickened, 2–3.5(–4) mm and about as broad or sometimes broader, often subhastately lobed, united 1/2 of length, entire or with few teeth on each side, tuberculate on 1 or both faces.
bracteoles deciduous, ovate or rhombic, slightly compressed, 2.5–3.5 mm and as broad, united 1/2 of length, often subhastately lobed, entire or with few teeth on each side, faces smooth or tuberculate.
Atriplex parishii
Atriplex parishii var. parishii
Varieties 5 (5 in the flora).
The Atriplex parishii complex consists of a series of microphyllous, low clump-forming annuals apparently disjunct from each other in the Central Valley of California and in near coastal southern California. Often they occupy vernal pools that dry as the season progresses; the substrates in all cases evidently are saline or alkaline, or both. For the most part, the bracteate distal leaves are cordate to rounded at the base, and spreading to spreading-ascending, and the fruiting bracteoles are mainly less than 3.5 mm in length.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Of conservation concern.
Atriplex parishii var. parishii differs further from var. depressa in the trichomes, which have been characterized as woolly, but individual trichomes are evident.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Fruiting bracteoles persistent, ± thickened and/or tuberculate on 1 or both faces | → 2 |
1. Fruiting bracteoles deciduous, compressed, faces smooth or tuberculate | → 3 |
2. Stems, even in inflorescences, mainly over 1.5 mm thick; staminate flowers borne mainly in terminal spikes; fruiting bracteoles 2.5-3.5(-4) mm; Colusa, Glenn, Merced, Solano, Stanislaus, and Tulare counties. | var. persistens |
2. Stems all or at least above, filiform, less than 1.5 mm thick; staminate flowers borne mainly in axillary glomerules, only sometimes somewhat spicate; fruiting bracteoles 2.4-2.8 mm; Fresno, Kings, Kern, Madera, and Tulare counties | var. subtilis |
3. Plants with elongate slender hairs in inflorescences; foliose bracts of inflorescence spreading, tips ± recurved; plants of Los Angeles (or Orange), Riverside, and San Diego counties | var. parishii |
3. Plants merely scurfy in inflorescences; foliose bracts of inflorescence spreading-ascending, tips not or not especially recurved | → 4 |
4. Leaves all or mainly opposite, 3-7 mm; fruiting bracteoles with appendages not in rows, on abaxial surface only; Glenn, Solano, and Yolo counties | var. depressa |
4. Leaves all or mainly alternate, 4-10 mm; fruiting bracteoles with faces smooth; Tulare and Kern counties | var. minuscula |
CA
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
