WILD FLOWERS OF THE BRITISH ISLES 
114 
I. ORACHE. (AT'RIPLEX. Linn.) — Flowers small, usually male and female, rarely perfect, 
in clusters often spike-like, in the axils of the leaves or in terminal branched clusters (panicles). 
The female flowers consist of a perianth of 2 free or more or less united, flat, valve-like lobes, 
which are sometimes toothed at the edges and have wart-like lumps on the back, enlarging in 
fruit; and 2 carpels, united into a seedcase with 2 styles and stigmas, developing 1 vertical 
seed, enclosed in the 2 flat perianth-lobes which close tightly over it. The male flowers 
consist of a perianth of 3-5 lobes, united at the base and remaining with the fruit ; and 5 stamens. 
While the perfect flowers resemble the male flowers with the addition of a pistil of 2 carpels which 
may or may not develop one horizontal seed. Herbs or undershrubs, fleshy, usually sprinkled 
with grey or white meal, with flat fleshy leaves often halbert-shaped or triangular. 
The 2 perianth-segments of female flowers united only at the base ; fruit free from perianth. 
(1) Grass-leaved Sea Orache. (At'riplex littoralis. ) — - Leaves toothed, not lobed. 
(2) Spreading Orache (At'riplex pat'ula.) — Lower leaves triangular with at the base two 
ascending lobes, upper leaves entire. 
(3) Halbert-leaved Orache. (At'riplex hastata.) — Lower leaves halbert-shaped. 
(4) Deltoid-leaved Orache. (At'riplex deltoidea.) — All the leaves halbert-shaped. 
(5) Rose-coloured Orache. (At'riplex Babingtonii.) — Leaves usually with at the base three 
ascending lobes. 
(6) Frosted Sea Orache. (At'riplex laciniata.) — Leaves toothed and wavy, not lobed. 
The 2 perianth-segments of female flowers united halfway or more ; fruit adhering to 
perianth. 
(7) Shrubby Sea Purslane. (At'riplex portulacoides.) — Fruit stalkless, leaves entire, shrubby. 
Perennial. 
(8) Stalked-fruited Purslane. (At'ripex pedunculata.) — Fruit stalked, leaves entire. Annual. 
1. Grass-leaved Sea Orache. (At'riplex littordlis. Linn.)— As just described. 
The flowers are both perfect and male and female and are all clustered together in long slender 
terminal spikes ; the perianth-segments are egg-shaped (ovate), triangular (deltoid), or 4-sided 
(rhomboidal), toothed (dentate), warted on the back, united only at the base, and not adhering to 
the fruit. The stem is erect, 6 inches to 4 feet high, branched, and woody, and has resinous 
reddish stripes ; and the leaves are strap-shaped (linear) or oblong, entire or slightly or deeply 
toothed (serrate) but not lobed, the upper leaves being very narrow and entire. The whole plant 
is covered with a bluish bloom (glaucous) and is more or less white with meal. 
Not common. On salt marshes ; throughout England, in Scotland as far north as Fifeshire, and 
in Ireland. July — September. Annual. 
2. Spreading 1 or Narrow-leaved Orache. (At'riplex pat'ula. Linn.) — A similar 
sort of plant with the flowers in long dense terminal spikes; the perianth-segments 4-sided 
(rhomboidal), toothed or entire, and warted or smooth on the back, united only at the base, and 
not adhering to the fruit ; the stems erect or prostrate, often with the main stem erect and the 
branches curving downwards to the ground ; the upper leaves are alternate, lance-shaped, and 
entire, and the lower ones are opposite, triangular, and wedge-shaped at the base with 2 ascending 
lobes. The whole plant is deep green, often tinged with red, and more or less covered with 
white meal. [. Plate 39. 
Common. In cultivated ground, waste places, and on sandy sea-shores, in England, Scotland 
and Ireland. July — October. Annual. 
