B28 



SHADSCALE 



A'triplex confertifo'lia 



Flowers small, in dense, conspicuous 

 clusters (spikes or spikelike panicles) 

 in leaf axils near ends of branches, of 2 

 kinds: male (staminate), and female 

 pistillate), borne on separate plants 



Male flowers not seed-producing.with- 

 out petals; outer flower cup (calyx) 

 mostly 5-parted; stamens usually 5, 

 protruding from calyx 



Leaves permanently gray-scurfy, al- 

 ternate, in somewhat crowded clusters 

 along the branches, entire, % to % in. long, 

 broadly oval, wedge-shaped at base, 

 blunt and rounded at tip ; lower leaves 

 with short stalks; upper, stalkless 



Branches round, with sharply spine- 

 pointed tips, densely scurfy when 

 young, becoming smooth and straw- 

 colored in age 



Female flowers seed-producing, short- 

 stalked, without petals or calyx; seed- 

 producing organ (pistil) enclosed by 2 

 feaflike bracts 



Fruiting bracts not winged, gray- 

 scurfy, y t to M in. long, broadly oval to 

 almost round, enlarging as the fruit 

 ripens, wedge-shaped and united at 

 base, with .en tire, free, and somewhat 

 spreading margins 



Seed pod (utricle) 1-celled, 1-seeded 



