E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Atriplex truncata (Torr. ex S. Watson) A. Gray
wedgescale orache (wedgescale saltbush)
Amaranthaceae (Amaranth family)
(Previously in Chenopodiaceae)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Distribution of Atriplex truncata
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Species Information

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Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

General:
Annual herb from a taproot; stems erect or curved, simple or branched, 25-120 cm tall, greyish-mealy above.

Leaves:
Lower leaves opposite, upper leaves alternate, short-stalked or stalkless, copiously and permanently greyish-mealy, especially on the lower surfaces, greyish-green above, lance-shaped to lance-linear or oblong, 2-7 cm long, squared-off to arrowhead-shaped at the base, smooth to wavy margins but not toothed.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of densely compacted axillary spikes or panicles, greenish, tiny, numerous; pistillate bracteoles wedge-shaped to oblong, 2.0-3.5 mm long, entire to undulating, never toothed.

Fruits:
Membranous bladders enclosed by 2 lance-shaped, smooth or wavy-margined bracts; seeds 1.5 mm long.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Dry roadsides, waste places and alkaline flats in the steppe and montane zones; infrequent in S BC east of the Coast-Cascade Mountains; E to SE SK and S to CO, UT and CA.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Additional Notes

"The genus Atriplex, commonly called orache, atriplex or saltbush, of the family Chenopodiaceae (the goosefoot family), comprises nearly 200 species. The genus has a worldwide distribution, occurring on all continents except Antarctica. Most of the species are halophytes of coastal or inland saline habitats; a few are widespread ruderals of disturbed ground." (Bassett et al. 1983).

References

Bassett, I. J., C. W. Crompton, J. McNeill and P. M. Taschereau. 1983. The genus Atriplex (Chenopodiaceae) in Canada. Monograph #31, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa.

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Atriplex truncata

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information	Value / Class
Site Information	Minimum	Average	Maximum
Elevation (metres)	916	922	928
Slope Gradient (%)	0	2	5
Aspect (degrees) [0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]	225	225	225
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric]	7	7	7
Modal Nutrient Regime Class	E
Number of field plots species was recorded in:	2
Modal BEC Zone Class	IDF
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in:	IDF(2)
Source: Klinkenberg 2020

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Status Information

Origin Status	Provincial Status	BC List (Red Blue List)	COSEWIC
Native	S4	Yellow	Not Listed

BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer, the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Flora North America treatment for Amaranthaceae
Flora North America treatment for Chenopodiaceae (Previous Family)
Flora North America treatment for Atriplex truncata
Genetic information (NCBI Taxonomy Database)
International Plant Names Index
Taxonomic Information from the World Flora Online
Integrated Taxonomic Information System

Additional Range and Status Information Links

Burke Museum of Natural History (Washington State records)
CalFlora
Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria records
Jepson Interchange
NatureServe Explorer
USDA

Additional Photo Sources

Images From CalPhoto
UT Austin's Native Plant Database
Google Image Search
Flickr Image Search

General References

Google Scholar Search
Family References
General Botanical References for BC

Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2020. E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 2024-09-07 11:23:43 PM ]

Disclaimer: The information contained in the E-Flora atlas pages is derived from expert sources as cited in each section. This information is scientifically based. E-Flora also acts as a portal to other sites via deep links. As always, users should refer to the original sources for complete information. E-Flora BC is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of the original information.