f 



1902] ^ ROCKY MOUNTAIN PLANTS 357 



9 : 117- — Though sometimes attributed to Colorado and Utah, it 

 is doubtful if it comes so far north. The Colorado and Utah 

 plants usually so named may stand as follows : 



■ Atriplex cuneata, n. sp. — Perennial, with woody base, from 

 two to several decimeters high, branched from the base, the 

 branches decumbent: leaves numerous, on the erect branches of 

 the current year, 1-3^'" long, entire, thick or semi-fleshy, from 

 narrowly to broadly elliptic, obtuse at apex, cuneatcly tapering 

 into a short petiole : flowers dioecious ; the staminate densely 

 clustered in the upper leaf axils and \\\ terminal spikes ; the 

 pistillate axillary, one or more in each cluster : fruiting bracts 

 united except at the tip, thickened and forming an ovate or sub- 

 globose fruit, rather thickly covered with irregular, rigid, flat- 

 tened processes. 



This species is closely allied to A. aca7ithocarpa (Torn) Wats,, in fact is 

 probably included, in part, in Watson's description (Proc. Am. Acad. 9 : 117). 

 It is probably not a part of Obione acanthocarpa Torn Bot. Mex. Bound. 183, 

 In any case, we must consider the typical form of that species as erect; the 

 leaves thin, undulate margined, oblong or lanceolate, usually acute and 

 many of them subhastate. Excellent specimens of typical A. acanthocarpa 

 and of the now proposed species show marked dififerences in many respects, 

 which will 2iCCo\iTil for the fact that the latter has as often been distributed 

 as A. Ntittallii as under the former name. Its range seems to be from wes- 

 tern Colorado into Utah and south to New Mexico and Arizona. 



Specimens examined: Chas, Wright 573, expedition of 1849; Brande- 

 ^ gee 1086, S. W. Colorado, 1875, i^ ^^ Hayden Survey; Alice Eastwood^ 



Grand Junction. Colorado, 1891; AL E.Jones 5443, Emery, Utah, 1894 (type, 

 in Rocky Mt, Herb.); Baker, Earle, and Tracy 420, Mancos, Colorado, 1898 ; 

 Myrtle Zuck, Holbrook, Arizona, 1896. 



■ 



Atriplex Nuttallii Wats. Proc. Am. Acad. 9: 116. — This 



is preeminently the characteristic saltbush of the Rocky moun- 

 tain plains. It is not so tolerant of alkali as most of the other 

 species, some of which always replace it in strongly saline areas. 

 It IS a most valuable forage plant, surpassed in quality, but not 



I 



in quantity, only by the following : 



Atriplex pabularis Aven Nelson, Bull. Torr. Bot- Club 

 25 : 203. — ^The known range of this well marked species is being 

 gradually extended. It has been found now in several of the 

 saline districts of Wyoming and will no doubt be found else- 

 where. 



