Atriplex L.

6. Atriplex L. 12

Annuals or small shrubs; glabrous or farinose. Leaves flat. Flowers usually unisexual. Male flowers with 5 perianth-segments and 5 stamens. Female flowers without perianth but with 2 large persistent bracteoles, free or connate up to the middle; rarely some female flowers with 4- to 5-lobed perianth; stigmas 2. Seeds vertical, often dimorphic, rarely some horizontal.

1 Shrubbyperennial

2 Bracteoles reniform to orbicular or orbicular-ovate, not lobed; plant 100-250 cm, stout, erect 1. halimus

2 Bracteoles ovate-rhombic to ovate-deltate, often 3-lobed; plant 20-50 cm, procumbent at the base

3 Bracteoles 4-5 mm, not or only slightly 3-lobed, with numerous filiform appendages on the back 2. glauca 3 Bracteoles 2-4 mm, 3-lobed, with 0-2 tubercles on the back

3. cana 1 Annual

4 Femaleflowersdimorphic,somewithhorizontalseeds and4 -

to 5-lobed perianth, the rest with vertical seeds and 2 bracteoles

5 Leaves green or purple-brown, glabrous, sometimes the uppermost slightly farinose 4. hortensis 5 Leaves grey- to white-farinose, at least beneath

6 Stem cylindrical or obtusely angled; leaves thin, grey beneath, mostly broadly triangular-cordate 5. nitens 6 Stem 4- to 5-angled; leaves thick, white beneath, narrowly triangular-cordate 6. aucheri 4 Femaleflowersmonomorphic,allwithverticalseedsand2 bracteoles

7 Bracteoles elliptical or orbicular-cordate, smooth and usually entire

8 Leaves mostly lanceolate to narrowly hastate 7. oblongifolia 8 Leaves broadly triangular-hastate 8. heterosperma 7 Bracteoles rhombic to rhombic-ovate, usually with teeth or appendages on the back

9 Bracteoles becoming hard in fruit; stems terete or angled

10 Cymes in terminal, leafless, often long panicles

12. tatarica 10 Cymes axillary or in leafy panicles

11 Bracteoles broadly rhombic, usually wider than long,

3-lobed with quadrangular lateral lobes and entire middle lobe, smooth or muricate on the back

11. laciniata 11 Bracteoles rhombic or triangular-rhombic, acute and irregularly toothedin the upper part, usuallywith large appendages on the back

12 Stem and branches almost glabrous; flowers not more than 3 in each cyme; seeds with flat sides

9. sphaeromorpha 12 Stem and branches densely farinose; flowers 5-10 in a cyme; seeds with convex sides 10. rosea 9 Bracteoles not becoming hard; stems strongly ridged

13 Bracteoles serrate or laciniate 16. calotheca 13 Bracteoles entire or dentate

14 At least some bracteoles stalked at the base

17-19. hastata group 14 Bracteoles sessile, sometimes cuneate at base

15 Lower leaves truncate at base 17-19. hastata group 15 Lower leaves cuneate or attenuate at base

16 Bracteoles ovate-rhombic with long-acuminate apex;

lower leaves linear or linear-lanceolate 13. littoralis 16 Bracteoles rhombic or orbicular-rhombic; lower leaves rhombic-hastate to elliptic-lanceolate

17 Lower leaves at least 4 times as long as wide

14. patens 17 Lower leaves 3-4 times as long as wide 15. patula