Atriplex L.

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit

Herbs or low shrubs, more or less scurfy-canescent or silvery; leaves mostly alternate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers dioecious or monoecious, small, green, in axillary capitate clusters or panicled spikes. Staminate flowers bractless, consisting of a 3–5-parted perianth and an equal number of stamens; filaments free or united by their bases; a pistillode sometimes present

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Pistillate flowers subtended by 2 bracts which enlarge in fruit and are more or less united; perianth none; stigmas 2

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Utricle completely or partly enclosed by the fruiting bracts; seeds with mealy endosperm.

Distribution

A widely distributed genus of about 150 species.

Ecology

Often found in saline or arid habitats.

Chenopodiaceae, J. P. M. Brenan. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1954

Morphology General Habit

Annual or perennial herbs or shrubs, usually more or less mealy with vesicular hairs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, rarely opposite, mostly petiolate, normally broad

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers in clusters, which are axillary or aggregated into terminal panicles or spikes, monoecious or dioecious.♂ flowers without bracteoles, with a 3–5-lobed calyx and 3–5 stamens; ♀ flowers with 2 relatively large bracteoles, without calyx or staminodes

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits enclosed by the persistent accrescent and often modified bracteoles, with a membranous indehiscent pericarp

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Endosperm present.  Brackish or saline soil indicators. Embryo annular with inferior radicle pointing upwards or upwards and outwards Seeds almost always “vertical” (i.e. laterally compressed), testa commonly thin and hard

Chenopodiaceae, J. P. M. Brenan. Flora Zambesiaca 9:1. 1988

Morphology General Habit

Annual or perennial herbs or shrubs, usually (always in the Flora Zambesiaca area) more or less mealy with vesicular hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, rarely opposite, mostly petiolate, normally relatively broad and flat.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Female flowers with 2 relatively large bracteoles, without perianth or staminodes. Male flowers without bracteoles, with a 3–5 lobed perianth and 3–5 stamens. Flowers in clusters, which are axillary or aggregated into terminal panicles or spikes, monoecious or dioecious.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits enclosed by the persistent accrescent, and often modified bracteoles, with a membranous indehiscent pericarp.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Endosperm present. Embryo annular, with inferior radicle pointing upwards or upwards and outwards. Seeds almost always “vertical”(i.e. laterally compressed), testa commonly thin and hard.

Ghazanfar, S. A. & Edmondson, J. R (Eds). (2016) Flora of Iraq, Volume 5 Part 1: Elatinaceae to Sphenocleaceae.

Morphology General Habit

Annual herbs, subshrubs or shrubs, covered with bladder and (almost unvisible) simple hairs of white or brown colour

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate or opposite, flat (but in some cases folded on ventral side), with C3 or C4 photosynthetic pathway

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers bisexual (rare) and unisexual (plants monocious or dioecious), arranged in clusters forming loose or dense inflorescences

sex Male

Male flowers with (3–4)5 hyaline segments connate at base

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 4–5

sex Female

Female flowers usually without actinomorphic perianth, enclosed in a bract- like cover consisting of two valves (termed in literature pre–2011 as “bracteoles”) developed from accrescent and flattened perianth segments, their dorsal part often carry outgrowths or appendages

Note

In addition to the female flowers enclosed in valves, three species also have female flowers with actinomorphic perianth of (3–4)5 segments (and therefore this flower type lacks the flattened valves) In the latter case, the bundles have a chlorenchyma sheath that looks like dark-green ornament near the veins Many annuals feature conspicuous or (rarely) cryptic heterospermy.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma

Stylodia 2, rarely 3

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds rounded (never keeled), elliptic or ovoid, with perisperm

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds Embryo

Embryo vertical (in the seeds originated from flowers covered in valves), and horizontal when female or bisexual flowers with actinomorphic perianth are present

Distribution

About 260 species in temperate and warmer regions.

Ecology

They can be categorized as thermophile, and partly halophile and nitrophile. In Iraq they do not form their own associations; their occurrence is mostly sporadic (native or escaped after cultivation).