264 GENUS ATRIPLEX. 



SYNONYM. 



1. Atriplex LiNDLEYi Moquin, in DeCandolle, Prodr. 13»: 100, 1849. — This name was given to the present 

 species because of the earlier A. hcdimoides Tineo, which, however, has never been otherwise published than as 

 a name in a garden catalogue (according to Bentham, Fl. Austral. 5: 179, 1870). There is also an A. halimoides 

 Rafinesque (Amer. Mo. Mag. 2: 176, 1818), but this is universally regarded as the same as A. patula haslata. 



RELATIONSHIPS. 



This is not related to any American species. It differs from all native Atriplexes in 

 the highly spongious bracts. This peculiar development is characteristic of several 

 other Australian species, notably A. holocarpa and A. vesicaria. Both of these have 

 been grown in American gardens with the thought of using them as forage plants, but 

 neither has been found suitable for general planting. 



ECOLOGY AND USES. 

 Atriplex halimoides is a native of the deserts of Australia, where it grows under ex- 

 tremely xerophytic conditions. It was introduced into California about 1885 and at 

 first seemed to give much promise as a browse plant for alkaline districts. Seeds formed 

 within a few months after sowing and when the plants were cut or pastured down a 

 compact mass of soft new growth was formed (according to Wickson, Calif. Agr. Exp. 

 Sta. Rep. for 1897-8:244, 1900). But this species did not become popular with 

 farmers. The garden experiments were made mostly at Berkeley and in the Sacramento 

 and San Joaquin Valleys, but th* only known locality where A. halimoides escaped to 

 wild conditions is in San Diego County. Chemical analyses of cultivated plants are 

 reported by Shepard, Saunders, and Knox (S. Dak. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. 69:42, 1901) 

 and by Knight, Heppner, and Nelson (Wyo. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. 65:50, 1905). 



9. ATRIPLEX DIOECA (Nuttall) Macbride, Contr. Gray Herb. n. s. 53:11, 1918. Plate 40. 



RiLLSCALE. 



Erect or spreading annual herb, 1 to 3 dm. high, branched from the base to form 

 rounded plants usually 1 to 3 dm. broad, the twigs erect ; branches rather stout, smooth, 

 lightly furfuraceous when young but soon glabrous and dull green, the old bark whitish; 

 leaves alternate, sessile, lanceolate or lance-ovate, either rounded or tapering to the 

 base, acute or subacuminate at apex, 1 to 2.5 cm. long, 0.2 to 0.8 cm. wide (rarely up 

 to 3.5 cm. long and 1 cm. wide), the upper ones moderately smaller, the margins entire, 

 thickish and succulent, sparsely farinose when young, but soon glabrous and glaucous; 

 flowers monoecious, the staminate in small glomerules which are widely separated in 

 nearly naked terminal spikes and also in the upper leaf-axils, the pistillate solitary or 

 few in the axils of the middle leaves, the two sexes mixing in some of the axils; perianth 

 of staminate flowers cup-shaped, cleft into 4 or 5 lobes each with a fleshy crest on the 

 back, of pistillate flowers minute, the 3 or 4 sepals distinct to the base; fruiting bracts 

 sessile by a narrow base, compressed, united to the apex, ovate, about 2 mm. long, 1.5 

 mm. wide, herbaceous, not margined, the faces not appendaged but rough with a coarse 

 scurf; seed 1.5 mm. long; radicle superior. {Kochia dioeca Nuttall, Genera 1:200, 1818.) 



Alberta and Saskatchewan to western Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana; the 

 Nebraska plants were probably introduced, the seed having been brought in by stock 

 cars, according to Bates (Asa Gray Bull. 6:35-37, 1898). Type locality, near Fort 

 Man dan. North Dakota. Collections: Rosedale Trail, Alberta, Moodie 1116 (DS, Gr, 

 NY, US); southern Saskatchewan, Macoun 1501 (US); Glen Allen, North Dakota, 

 Holzinger 30 (US) ; Owl Butte, South Dakota, Griffiths 338 (US) ; Pennington County, 

 South Dakota, Over 1808 (US); Cretaceous hills below Fort Pierre, Nebraska Territory, 

 June, 1853-54, Hayden (NY); South Fork Powder River, Johnson County, Wyoming, 

 Goodding 25^ (DS, Gr, R, NY, UC, US); north of Baggs, Carbon County, Wyoming, 



