174 
A TRIPLEX 
apex either elongated or not, about 2 — 3 mm. long and 2 broad. Seeds small, about 1 mm. 
in diameter. 
Arable land and waste places ; Kent, Surrey, and doubtless elsewhere. 
(, c ) A. patula var. erecta Lange Haandb. Dansk. FI. 558 (1851); Beckhaus FI. West/. 758 (1893); Syme 
Eng. Bot. viii, 29 (1868); A. erecta Babington Manual 252 (1843) et auct. pi., sed non Hudsoni nec Smithi. 
Stem erect or decumbent. Branches numerous ; basal ones divaricate, opposite, decumbent or 
ascending; upper ones ascending. Petioles of the lower leaves distinct, about 5 — 15 mm. long. 
Laminae of the lower leaves ovate, shortly cuneate at the base, with small basal lobes, denticulate ; 
upper ones smaller, lanceolate. Inflorescence often much branched ; spikes with the partial 
inflorescences more close together than in var. lineare. Bracteoles eventually rhombic, apex produced 
or not, smooth or more or less muricate, about 3 — 5 mm. long and 2 — 4 broad. Seeds 1 — 2 mm. 
in diameter. 
The binominal Atriplex erecta was originally bestowed by Hudson on the A. angustifolia laciniata Ray Hist. Plant, i, 
192 (1686); Syn. ed. 3, 152 (1724). Ray states that the plant he describes was found “on the entrance into Battersea 
Field [near London] from Nine Elms,” by “ Mr Martyn.” No specimen from this locality can now be traced ; but, from 
Ray’s description, we are persuaded that he refers to a form of A. littoralis var. serrata. Hence A. erecta Hudson is 
placed as a synonym of this variety (see page 172). 
Smith (FI. Brit.) took up the name A. erecta, and supplied a figure (Eng. Bot. t. 2223) and maintained the name in his 
Eng. FI. iv, 260, where he refers to a specimen “in Mr Rose’s herbarium, probably from Mr Hudson, or at least named by 
him.” A specimen by Rose is in Smith’s herbarium ; and it agrees so closely with the figure in Eng. Bot. that there can 
be little or no doubt that it is the specimen alluded to by Smith. We ourselves do not believe that it is the plant of Ray ; 
and hence it cannot be that of Hudson. 
Babington’s A. erecta is neither Ray’s, Hudson’s, nor Smith’s plant, though these authorities are erroneously cited by 
Babington. Babington based his description on specimens from the Channel Isles, and added that “this plant is frequent 
in England, and is considered by Mr Edw. Forster as the true erecta of Hudson.” It is clear to us that Forster was 
labouring under some misapprehension. Babington’s specimens are a form of A. patula, and not the “ distinctissima species, 
fructu parvo, maxime muricato copiosissimo, facile recognescendo ” of Smith (FI. Brit. p. 1094). Anyone familiar with 
the writings of Sir J. E. Smith will know that he does not pile up superlatives in this way when describing a well-known 
plant. Babington describes his plant as “plus minusve muricatis fructum,” which is very different from Smith’s “fructu 
parvo maxime muricato copiosissimo.” 
Syme (Eng. Bot. ed. 3) realised that the A. erecta auct. pi. was not the A. erecta of Smith. He named the former 
A. patula var. serrata, and states that the latter is “very rare,” and that he had seen it growing “only at Twickenham.” 
However, it may be doubted if he really saw Smith’s plant, for the leaf which he adds to the original figure is a leaf 
of his var. serrata. Specimens gathered by him at Twickenham are in Herb. Mus. Brit., and are certainly not Smith’s 
plant. They are a mixed lot, and some may be var. erecta forma crassa, and others hybrids of A. patula and A. hastata 
var. microtheca. 
The A. erecta of recent authorities is the A. erecta of Babington, and not the A. erecta of Hudson or Smith. 
(a) var. erecta forma crassa Moss and Wilmott in Camb. Brit. FI. ii, 174; A. angustifolia var. crassa 
Mertens und Koch Deutschl. FI. 315 (1826). 
Plant larger, and very much branched. Stem thick, up to about 1 m. high. Petioles of the 
lower leaves about ro — 1'5 cm. long. Laminae larger, thicker, about 7 cm. long and 4 broad. 
Bracteoles larger, about 4 mm. long and 3 broad, rather succulent, smooth or with 2 tubercles. 
This state of var. erecta is rather common on rich garden soil and in waste places. 
Common and widely distributed in the lowlands of England, especially in arable land. 
(/S) var. erecta forma serrata Moss and Wilmott in Camb. Brit. FI. ii, 174; A. patula var. serrata Syme 
Eng. Bot. ed. 3, viii, 29 (1868). 
Plant smaller. Stem erect, stiff, about 4 — 6 dm. high ; basal branches stiff, suberect, decumbent ; 
upper branches usually few, ascending. Petioles of the lower leaves about 5 — 10 mm. long. Lammae 
smaller, thin, about 4 - o — 5 0 cm. long and i’5 broad. Bracteoles eventually rhombic, varying from 
smooth to very muricate, about 2 — 3 mm. long. 
This is a common form in arable land, and occurs from Hampshire northwards to eastern Inverness-shire. 
(7) var. erecta forma umbrosa Moss and Wilmott in Camb. Brit. FI. ii, 174. 
Stem weak and slender, straggling ; branches divaricate, weak. Leaves as in forma serrata but 
thinner. Inflorescence very lax ; partial inflorescences few-flowered. Bracteoles eventually larger and 
more leaf-like, thin, about 4 — 5 mm. long and 3 — 4 broad. 
Common in hedgerows and similar shady places. An analogous state of var. linearis also occurs. 
(d) A. patula var. bracteata Westerlund Sveriges Atripl. 57 (1861)!. 
leones : — Camb. Brit. FI. ii. Plate 176. (a) Upper portion of shoot. (b) Fruiting bracteoles. 
Huntingdonshire (E. W. H.). 
