A. CORRUGATA — A. POLYCARPA. 331 



and sometimes pushes as far into white-alkali flats as does Suaeda. It forms low mounds 

 in the manner of nuttalli, but these are smaller, owing to its more appressed habit. 



This species is looked upon with disfavor by the stockmen of Utah, who call it "poison 

 clover." It is browsed to a considerable extent by sheep, especially after other forage 

 has been used up, with the result that many of the animals are fatally poisoned. While 

 this has not been corroborated by carefully controlled feeding experiments, the range 

 evidence comes from trustworthy sources. It is probable that the poisoning is due to 

 saponin, as seems to be the case with A. canescens. The only other browse on the range 

 at the time of greatest injury is A. nuttalli, which is much less if at all injurious. 



40. ATRIPLEX POLYCARPA (Torrey) Watson, Proc. Am. Acad. 9:117, 1874. Plate 52. 

 Allscale. 



Erect shrub, woody throughout, intricately much branched to form twiggy and 

 usually rounded plants 8 to 20 dm. high (seedlings sometimes fruit abundantly when 

 only 3 dm. high); branches not angled, at first gray-scurfy, later smooth and light or 

 yellowish brown, the old bark dark and breaking longitudinally; leaves crowded on the 

 young twigs, early deciduous, alternate, usually sessile, elliptic-oblong or spatulate, 

 narrowed at base, acutish or obtuse at apex, usually 0.3 to 1.5 cm. long and 0.2 to 0.4 

 cm. wide, but up to 2.5 cm. long on sterile twigs, often with very small leaves fascicled 

 in the axils, entire, thickish, gray with a dense permanent scurf, l-nerved; flowers 

 dioecious, the staminate glomerules in axillary and terminal spikes, the pistillate crowded 

 along the numerous divergent branches of profuse terminal panicles; perianth 5-cleft 

 in staminate flowers, wanting in the pistillate; fruiting bracts sessile, moderately or 

 scarcely compressed (the margins sometimes broad and flat), united to well above the 

 middle or rarely distinct nearly to the base, cuneate-orbicular, 2 to 4 mm. long or up 

 to 6 mm. when the teeth are well developed, as broad or broader, the thin margins 

 shallowly to deeply and laciniately dentate above the base, the faces copiously cristate- 

 appendaged to tuberculate or smooth; seed 1 to 1.5 mm. long, pale brown; radicle 

 superior. {Obione polycarpa Torrey, Pacif. R. R. Rep. 4:130, 1857.) 



Desert areas from southern Nevada, southern Utah, Arizona, and Sonora west across 

 Lower California, north to the San Joaquin and Owens Valleys, California; abundant 

 on the Colorado Desert of western Arizona and eastern California, also in the south 

 and west portions of the San Joaquin Valley, California. Type locality, Valley of the 

 Gila River, Arizona. Collections: 13 km. above Rioville, Nevada, April 11, 12, and 13, 

 1894, Jones (US); St. George, Utah, Jones (Herb. Jones); type collection, October 28, 

 1846; Emory (NY); Arizona: Tempe, Kearney 89, 119 (US); Maricopa, September 3, 

 1901, Thornber (UC); Mellen, along the Colorado River, February 25, 1910, Grinnell 

 (UC); Yuma, Hall 11209 (UC); near Tucson, Thornber 109a (NY, UC, US); Sonoyta, 

 Sonora, Mearns 2732 (US); San Francisquito Bay, Gulf of California, Rose 16754 (NY, 

 US); Puerto Refugio, Angel de la Guardia Island, Gulf of California, Johnston 3368 

 (SF, UC); Lower Cahfornia: Comondu, April 24, 1889, Brandegee (UC, type of A. 

 curvidens Brandegee, minor variation 3); Point Abreojos, Rose 16254 (US); San Bar- 

 tolome Bay, April 12, 1897, Brandegee (UC); Rosalia Bay, Anthony ISO (UC, US); 

 California: Borregos Springs, Colorado Desert, April 18, 1895, Brandegee (UC); Palm 

 Springs and southward, Schellenger 34 (UC); Indio, Kearney 8 (US); Mecca, Parish 

 8262 (Gr); Dry Lake near Rosamond, western end of Mojave Desert, Hall 10969; west 

 side of Tehachapi Pass, Hall 10966, 10967, 10968 (UC); Bakersfield, September 28, 

 1894, Eastwood (UC); near Kern Lake, Davy 2137 (UC); near Lost Hills, western Kern 

 County, Hall 11774, 11775 (UC); Shandon, San Luis Obispo County, Severin (CI); 

 between Mendota and Coalinga, Fresno County, Hall 11763 (UC); Wildcat Canon, 

 western Merced County, Severin (CI); sandy plains of Owens Valley, Purpus 3043 



