A. CANESCENS. 343 



exposed face, the four wings thus formed entire to laciniate, the faces smooth or with 

 small appendages between the wings; seed 1.5 to 2.5 mm. long, brown; radicle superior. 

 {Calligonum canescens Pursh Fl. Am. Sept. 370, 1814.) 



Widely distributed in western North America; Alberta to Kansas, western Texas, 

 Zacatecas, Lower California, eastern Washington, and Montana. 



SUBSPECIES. 



Key to the Subspecies of Atriplex canescens. 

 Leaves linear to oblong or wider, 2 mm. or more wide; fruiting bracts 6 to 15 mm. or more 

 long, or if shorter the leaves then 4 mm. or more wide. 

 Blade of leaf usually widest above middle, linear-spatukte to oblong-spatulate, 0.2 to 

 1.2 cm. wide. 



Shrub normally 4 to 15 dm. high; leaves linear-spatulate or narrowly oblong (a) typica (p. 343). 



Shrub 2 to 4 dm. high; leaves oblong or oblong-spatulate (b) aplera (p. 343). 



Blade of leaf widest at middle, broadly elliptic, 0.8 to 1.8 cm. wide. Shrub under 



4 dm. high (c) garretli (p. 344). 



Leaves linear, mostly 2 mm. or less wide; fruiting bracts 4 to 8 or rarely 10 mm. long. 



Fruiting bracts sessile or nearly so, the stalks 2 mm. or less long (d) linearis (p. 344). 



Fruiting bracts on stalks 4 to 10 mm. long (e) macropoda (p. 344) . 



47a. Atriplex canescens typica. — Shrub 4 to 15 dm. high; leaves linear-spatulate 

 or narrowly oblong, mostly widest above the middle, obtuse or barely acute at apex, 1.5 

 to 4 or rarely 5 cm. long, 0.2 to 0.8 cm. wide; fruiting bracts (including wings) 6 to 15 or 

 rarely 20 mm. long, on straight or recurved stalks 2 to 15 mm. long; wings 4 to 8 or 

 rarely 12 mm. wide (reduced to 2 to 4 mm. wide in variety macilenta Jepson, minor vari- 

 ation 6; broad, thin, and deeply laciniate in variety laciniata Parish, minor variation 5), 

 usually much exceeding the triangular free terminal portion of the bracts. {Calligonum 

 canescens Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. 370, 1814.) South Dakota to Kansas, western Texas, 

 Zacatecas, Lower California, eastern Washington, and Idaho; by far the most common 

 form almost throughout western North America. Type locality, plains of the Missouri 

 River, near the Big Bend, South Dakota. Collections: Natrona County, Wyoming, 

 Goodding 246 (NY) ; Uva, Laramie County, Wyoming, Nelson 8584 (UC) ; near Denver, 

 Colorado, Eastwood 112 (UC); Grove County, Kansas, Hitchcock 44O (Or, NY); Redford, 

 western Texas, Hanson 812 (Gr); Animas Creek, Sierra County, New Mexico, Metcalfe 

 1124 (Gr, SF, NY); 6 km. northwest of Tucson, Arizona, Thornber 111 (NY, UC); Casas 

 Grandes, Chihuahua, Goldman 423 (Gr); near Saltillo, Coahuila, Palmer 298 (Gr, UC, 

 US) ; San Luis Potosi, Schaffner 35 (Gr) ; Cedros, Zacatecas, Lloyd 36 (US) ; San Gregorio, 

 Lower California, February 6, 1889, Brandegee (UC); South Coronado Island, Lower 

 California, Parish 8836, 8837 (UC); Caleb, Colorado Desert, California, Parish 8256 

 (Gr, tj^e collection of A. canescens laciniata Parish, minor variation 5); Salton Creek, 

 Colorado Desert, California, April 3, 1901, Brandegee (UC); Glendale to Burbank, Los 

 Angeles County, California, Braunion 906 (UC) ; Clark County, Nevada, Heller 10980 

 (UC); Reno, Nevada, June, 1890, Sonne (UC); Alvord Desert, eastern Oregon, Cusick 

 2595 (UC); near Spokane, Washington (R); Pocatello, Idaho, Nelson and Macbride 1397 

 (UC). Numerous additional localities may be secured by consulting herbaria. Detailed 

 distribution in eastern California and southern Nevada is given by Merriam (N. Am. 

 Fauna 7:326, 1893). 



476. Atriplex canescens aptera (Nelson). — Shrub 2 to 4 dm. high; leaves oblong 

 to oblong-spatulate, mostly widest above the middle, obtuse at apex, 2 to 4 cm. long, 

 0.4 to 1.2 cm. wide; fruiting bracts 4 to 8 mm. long, on stout erect or spreading stalks 1 

 to 5 mm. long or some sessile; wings 1 to 5 mm. wide, sometimes 1 or more of them wanting 

 (in the type material), about equaling or slightly exceeding the free terminal portion of 

 the bracts. {A. aptera Nelson, Bot. Gaz. 34:356, 1902.) Southern Alberta to northern 

 Colorado. Type locality, Laramie, Wyoming. Collections: Rosedale Trail, Alberta, 

 Moodie 986 (DS, Gr, NY, SF, US) ; Deer Lodge, Montana, October, 1888, Anderson (US); 

 type collection, September, 1901, E. Nelson 738 (Wyo.); type locality, on saline flats, A. 



