Atriplex saccaria var. asterocarpa

(Stutz

Rhodora 102: 420. 2001.

Common names: Starbract orach
Endemic
Basionym: Atriplex asterocarpa Stutz G. L. Chu & S. C. Sanderson, Madroño 41: 199, fi gs. 1, 2. 1994
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 349. Mentioned on page 348.

Herbs, annual, 1.5–3 dm. Stems erect, branching from base to top, terete, scurfy above. Leaves: petiole 2–10 mm; blade oval to narrowly so, 6–15 (–25) × 5–10 (–15) mm, base truncate to rounded or rather abruptly cuneate, margin entire, apex acute to rounded. Staminate flowers in glomerules arranged in spikes 1–3 cm at branch apices. Fruiting bracteoles always (?) monomorphic, usually on stipes 2–6 mm, body 5–6 mm thick, globose, with thickened, hard, hornlike appendages.


Phenology: Flowering Apr–Sep.
Habitat: Fine-textured, saline (frequently semibarren) substrates of the Chinle and Entrada formations, with Atriplex confertifolia, Phacelia crenulata, and Eriogonum inflatum
Elevation: 1100-1400 m

Discussion

This taxon is allied to both Atriplex saccaria and A. cornuta but distinguished mainly by the fruiting bracteoles profusely covered with hard, thickened processes. Evidently absent in specimens of var. asterocarpa are the small, cuneate, truncate, smooth bracteoles typical of A. saccaria, but in some specimens the juvenile fruiting bracteoles suggest such a condition, which is noted both in var. saccaria proper and in var. cornuta. The overall aspect of var. asterocarpa is, despite lacking this one feature, that of A. saccaria. This is apparently the basis of my earlier interpretation of A. caput-medusae within A. saccaria.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"/2" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property."dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property."dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

acute +  and rounded +
Stanley L. Welsh +
(Stutz +
slippery +
aromatic +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
truncate +  and rounded +
5mm;10mm +
Atriplex asterocarpa +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
globose +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
persistent +  and deciduous +
reddish-brown +, black +, brown +  and green +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (?) +
cuneate +  and ovate or obovate +
not crested +
5-parted +
rounded +
Starbract orach +
Ariz. +  and Utah. +
1100-1400 m +
tuberculate +
1 +  and 3 +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
not +  and connate +
enlarged +
Fine-textured, saline (frequently semibarren) substrates of the Chinle and Entrada formations, with Atriplex confertifolia, Phacelia crenulata, and Eriogonum inflatum +
bladderlike +
terminal +  and axillary +
opposite +  and alternate +
deciduous +  and persistent +
not winged +  and winged +
acute +  and rounded +
suborbicular +  and round-triangular +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
inferior +, half-inferior +  and superior +
crassinucellate +  and bitegmic +
campylotropous +
1 +  and single +
persistent +  and deciduous +
(1-)3-5-lobed +
papery +  and chartaceous +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
Flowering Apr–Sep. +
subopposite +  and alternate +
bulbous +  and taprooted +
fusiform +
fleshy +  and fibrous +
verrucate +  and striate +
brownish +  and whitish +
flattened +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.23 cm2.3 mm <br />0.0023 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
cylindric +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
3 +  and 5 +
opposite +  and alternate +
succulent +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
sessile +  and petiolate +
reduced;small +
horizontal +  and vertical +
verrucate +
Atriplex truncata var. saccaria +  and Obione saccaria +
Atriplex saccaria var. asterocarpa +
Atriplex saccaria +
variety +
dicotyledonous +