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

Atriplex gmelinii C.A. Mey.
Gmelin's orache (Gmelin's saltbush)
Amaranthaceae (Amaranth family)
(Previously in Chenopodiaceae)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Curtis Bjork  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #15948)

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Distribution of Atriplex gmelinii
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Species Information

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General:
Annual herb from a taproot; stems decumbent to erect, freely branched, 0.1-1.0 m tall/long.
Leaves:
Lower leaves opposite, upper leaves alternate, stalked or stalkless, lanceolate to oblong or rounded, 2-10 cm long, the bases smooth or toothed, covered with a whitish mealy substance when young but becoming glabrous and greenish with maturity.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of terminal or axillary spikes or panicles; pistillate bracteoles only slightly thickened basally or not at all, largest ones strap-shaped or narrowly egg-shaped, 4-12 mm long.
Fruits:
Membranous pericarps; seeds erect, 1.5-2.7 mm long.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Moist to mesic shorelines in the lowland zone; infrequent along the coast; N to AK.

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.

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.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Atriplex gmelinii var. zosterifolia (Hook.) Moq.
Atriplex patula subsp. obtusa (Cham.) H.M. Hall & Clem.
Atriplex patula subsp. zosterifolia
Atriplex patula var. obtusa (Cham.) M. Peck
Atriplex patula var. zosterifolia (Hook.) C.L. Hitchc.

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

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

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: 2025-01-18 3:24:30 AM ]
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