130 Chenopodiaceae 



11. A. canescens (Pursh) James. Erect and shrubby, rather 

 Strict, about 8 dm. high ; leaves oblanceolate to narrowly oblong or 

 linear, 15-45 mm. long, obtuse or acutish, narrowed to the base, 

 entire ; usually dioecious ; the flowers in panicled spikes ; calyx 

 5-cleft; fruiting bracts connate and indurated, not scurvy or 

 muricate, the wings distinct and broad, veined and entire or 

 toothed, 4-6 mm. long. 



Occasional in the vicinity of San Bernardino and San Diego. A common 

 species on the desert. 



6. SALICOBNIA L. 



Fleshy glabrous annual or perennial herbs, with op- 

 posite terete branches, the leaves reduced to mere oppo- 

 site scales at the nodes. The flowers sunken, 3-7 together 

 in the axils of the upper leaves, forming narrow terminal 

 spikes, perfect or the lateral staminate. Calyx fleshy, 

 3-4-toothed or truncate, becoming spongy in fruit, 

 deciduous. Stamens 2 or sometimes solitary, exserted. 

 Styles and stigmas 2. Utricles enclosed by the spongy 

 fruiting calyx ; embryo conduplicate. 



1. S. ambigua Michx. Perennial by a woody rootstock ; 

 stem decumbent or trailing, 1-6 din. long, the branches ascending 

 or erect, nearly or quite simple, rather long-jointed, 7-15 cm. 

 long, pale green ; scales broadly ovate, acute or obtuse; fruiting 

 spikes 1.5-4 cm. long, broad as the branches; flowers about all 

 equally high and about equaling the joints. 



Very common in salt marshes along the coast. May-August. 



2. S. subterminalis Parish. Perennial from a tufted ligneous 

 spreading-prostrate caudex ; the herbaceous stems widely spread- 

 ing or suberect, crowded or fascicled, 1-3 dm. high, internodes 

 short; the numerous branchlets slender, both members of each 

 pair often ascending on the same side of the main stem, giving it 

 a unilateral appearance; spikes 1-3 cm. long, of few-several 

 enlarged fertile bracts (joints broader than long) and usually 

 about as many slender longer sterile ones ; scales acute, becom- 

 ing divaricate-alate ; middle flower united nearly or quite to the 

 stigmas ; fruit glabrous. 



Not common within our limits. Capistrano; Mesmer. Easily distin- 

 guished from S. ambigua by its much greener slender and numerous branch- 

 lets. Common about San Diego. 



