Atriplex coulteri

(Moquin-Tandon) D. Dietrich

Syn. Pl. 5: 537. 1852.

Common names: Coulter’s orach
EndemicConservation concern
Basionym: Obione coulteri Moquin-Tand on in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 13(2): 113. 1849
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 363. Mentioned on page 325, 364.

Herbs, perennial, sometimes flowering as an annual, spreading 0.7–10 dm, slightly woody at base. Stems frequently tinged with red, much branched, sparsely scurfy. Leaves many, sessile or short petiolate; blade obovate, oblong, oblanceolate, or elliptic, (5–) 7–20 × 1–3 (–5) mm, base cuneate, margin entire, apex acute. Staminate flowers in glomerules in distal axils and short terminal spikes. Pistillate flowers in small axillary clusters. Fruiting bracteoles sessile or subsessile, broadly obovate, 2–3 mm and as broad or about as broad, united 1/2 of length, margin free, deeply and sharply dentate, narrowed at summit, faces smooth or sometimes tuberculate. Seeds brown, 1.3–1.5 mm.


Phenology: Flowering spring–fall.
Habitat: Somewhat alkaline or clay low places, valley grasslands, coastal sage scrub, coastal slopes
Elevation: 0-500 m

Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Atriplex coulteri is closely allied to the geographically disjunct A. fruticulosa, from which it is said to differ in the compressed, small (2.5–3 mm) versus thickened and larger (3–5 mm) bracts. Specimens of A. fruticulosa, including the type, examined by me have bracteoles compressed-thickened, but hardly “globoid” as stated in the key to the species by H. M. Hall and F. E. Clements (1923). Additional specimens borrowed from California might clarify the situation; otherwise the two species are sufficiently close as to be treated as a single entity.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

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

... more about "Atriplex coulteri"
Stanley L. Welsh +
(Moquin-Tandon) D. Dietrich +
slippery +
aromatic +
subsessile +, sessile +  and monomorphic +
cuneate +
broadest +
Obione coulteri +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
elliptic +, oblanceolate +, oblong +  and obovate +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 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 +
3-5-parted +
Coulter’s orach +
0-500 m +
tuberculate +
pistillate +  and staminate +
rarely +  and lacking +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
not +  and connate +
enlarged +
Somewhat alkaline or clay low places, valley grasslands, coastal sage scrub, coastal slopes +
bladderlike +
terminal +  and axillary +
petiolate +, short +  and sessile +
deciduous +  and persistent +
subsessile +  and sessile +
dentate +  and entire +
free +  and united +
narrowed +  and obovate +
broad;broad;broad +
inferior +, half-inferior +  and superior +
crassinucellate +  and bitegmic +
campylotropous +
1 +  and single +
persistent +  and deciduous +
(1-)3-5-lobed +
papery +  and chartaceous +
Flowering spring–fall. +
bulbous +  and taprooted +
fusiform +
fleshy +  and fibrous +
verrucate +  and striate +
flattened +
0.13 cm1.3 mm <br />0.0013 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
Endemic +  and Conservation concern +
cylindric +
3 +  and 5 +
opposite +  and alternate +
tinged with red +
succulent +
sessile +  and petiolate +
reduced;small +
horizontal +  and vertical +
verrucate +
Atriplex sect. Obione +
Atriplex coulteri +
Atriplex subsect. Arenariae +
species +
dicotyledonous +
decumbent-ascending;erect +