A TRIPLEX 
173 
Series ii. Patulae 
Patulae Westerlund in Sv. Atripl. 53 (1861); in Linnaea xl, 164 (1876). 
For characters, see page 1 70. Only British species : — A. patula. 
4. ATRIPLEX PATULA. Orach. Plates 175, 176 
Atriplex sylvestris angustifolia Johnson in Gerard Herball. ed. 2, 326 (1636); Ray Syn. ed. 3, 151 (1724). 
Atriplex patula L. Sp. PI. 1053 (1753); Babington Manual 252 (1843) including A. angustifolia et 
A. erecta\ Syme Eng. Bot. ed. 3, viii, 29 (1868); Ascherson und Graebner FI. Nordostd. Flachl. 285 (1898); 
Rouy FI. France xii, 34 (1910) excluding race littoralis p. 35; A. angustifolia Smith FI. Brit. 1092 (1804)!; 
Eng. FI. iv, 258 (1828): Schizotheca patula £elakowsky Prodr. FI. Bohm. 149 (1867). 
Exsiccata : — Billot, 3190, 3 190 bis, 3190 ter; Fries, viii, 53 ; Woloszczak (FI. Polon. Exsicc .), 722, as Schizotheca 
patida ; Herb. FI. Ingric. 522. 
Annual more or less mealy. Stem erect or decumbent or prostrate, much branched either at 
the base or throughout its whole length, from 10 — 60 cm. high or rather more, green with paler 
green or pinkish stripes. Leaves usually alternate, sometimes all or the lower ones opposite. Petioles 
variable in length, from 1 — 10 mm. Laminae of the lower leaves ovate-lanceolate or linear- 
lanceolate, attenuate at the base, entire or denticulate, with or without the 2 basal lobes, lobes 
sometimes large and prominent. Flowers from August to October. Bracteoles eventually rhomboid, 
usually small (about 2 — 3 mm. long and 2 broad), sometimes much enlarged (about 10 mm. long and 
5 broad) when growing in rich soil, cuneate at the base, margin denticulate or entire, lateral lobes 
sometimes absent, rarely suborbicular, apex sometimes more or less acuminate, outer surface smooth 
or muricate, usually very mealy ; September and October. Seeds usually small (about 1 mm. 
in diameter). 
This is one of the most variable plants of the British flora ; but there appears to be very little correlation of the 
different characters. The following variations are the best known to us, and are probably the most common in the British 
Isles. However, intermediate forms are numerous; and, although not here described, they are certain to be encountered by 
every student of the genus. 
An allied species (A. oblongifolia Waldstein et Kitaibel PI. Rar. Hung, iii, 278, t. 221 (1812); Mertens und Koch 
Deutschl. FI. ii, 316 (1826); A. tartarica auct. non Linn.) sometimes occurs adventitiously. It has more glaucous leaves 
than A. patula , and ovate (not rhombic), entire bracteoles. 
(<2) A. patula var. angustissima Grenier et Godron FI. France iii, 13 (1855); Beckhaus FI. Westf. 759 
(1893) ; A. angustifolia var. angustissima Wallroth Sched. Crit. 116 (1822); Schizotheca patida var. angustissima 
Celakowsky Prodr. FI. Bohm. 149 (1867); A. agrestis Schur Enum. PI. Transsylv. 575 (1866). 
Exsiccata: — Schur, 9298; herb. Marshall, 2181, partim. 
Stem stiff, erect (2 — 4 dm.) or prostrate and forming circular patches ; branches divaricate. Petioles 
almost absent. Laminae linear-lanceolate, entire, usually very mealy. Bracteoles eventually rhombic 
or circular, entire, muricate, usually small (1 — 2 mm. long and broad) or occasionally rather large 
(3 mm. long and broad). 
Several forms of this plant occur. Of the British forms, the commonest is prostrate, and makes circular patches : the 
laminae are mealy, and about 3'o cm. long and 0-3 broad: the bracteoles at maturity are small, smooth, and rather mealy. 
A second is less prostrate : its inflorescence is more branched ; and its bracteoles muricate at maturity, as in a specimen — 
perhaps an authentic one — of var. microcarpa Koch in Herb. Kew. : this form is widespread. A third, possibly var. an- 
gustissima Wallroth in sensu stricto, is erect, with divaricate branches: its laminae are about 1 — 2 cm. long and 1 — 2 mm. 
broad; and its bracteoles at maturity are very mealy: this occurs at Whitstable, Kent, and perhaps elsewhere. Until, 
however, these forms have been more fully studied, it seems undesirable to create new names to embrace them. 
(b) A. patula var. linearis Moss and Wilmott in Camb. Brit. FI. ii, 173 ; A. angustifolia subsp. leiocarpa 
var. linearis Gaudin FI. Helv. vi, 320 (1830); Schizotheca patida var. macrotheca Beck FI. Nied.-Ost. 335 (1890). 
leones : — Camb. Brit. FI. ii. Plate 175. (a) Upper portion of shoot. (b) Leaves. (c) Fruiting 
bracteoles (enlarged). Huntingdonshire (E. W. H.). 
Exsiccata : — Gandoger (FI. Gall. Exsicc .) 919, as A. angustifolia. 
Stem long and straggling. Laminae linear-lanceolate, entire (forma integrifolia Beck loc. cit.) 
or with large, entire, forwardly-curved lobes (forma hastifolia Beck loc. cit.), about 5 — 6 cm. long 
and 1 broad. Inflorescence with long, nearly simple, ascending branches ; partial inflorescences 
usually distant. Bracteoles eventually rhombic, often somewhat denticulate about the middle, smooth, 
