Atriplex patula (spear saltbush; common orache; spear orach; spreading orach; /ˈɒrətʃ/[1]) is a ruderal, circumboreal species of annual herbaceous plant in the genus Atriplex naturalized in many temperate regions.
| Atriplex patula | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Amaranthaceae |
| Genus: | Atriplex |
| Species: | A. patula
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| Binomial name | |
| Atriplex patula | |
Description
editAtriplex patula grows to be between 50 and 80 centimetres (20 and 31 inches) tall.[2] The branches extend outwards from the stem with rhomboid leaves and separated clusters of flowers.[2] The species accumulates salt from the environment in its tissues. Unlike other Atriplex species, it lacks notable salt bladders to excrete salt onto the leaves.[3]
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Atriplex patula, female flower with bracteoles and seed
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Taxonomy
editThe species was a member of the family Chenopodiaceae, now part of Amaranthaceae, the amaranth family.[2]
Distribution and habitat
editThe species has a wide range, including semi-arid deserts and coastal areas in Asia, North America, Europe, and Africa.[2] It commonly grows along roads and waste sites.[4]
Although it is commonly asserted that the species has been naturalized in North America only since the 18th century,[5][6] seeds ascribed to this species occur on the west coast of North America in buried marsh deposits that predate European contact.[7][8]
Uses
editThe young leaves and shoots are edible raw or cooked and suffice as a spinach substitute.[9]
The species has been proven to be effective in lowering salt content in soils when planted in areas with high road salt contamination.[3]
References
edit- ^ "orache". Oxford English Dictionary third edition. Oxford University Press. June 2004. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
- ^ a b c d Sukhorukov, Alexander; Kushunina, Maria; Verloove, Filip (2016-07-14). "Notes on Atriplex, Oxybasis and Dysphania (Chenopodiaceae) in West-Central Tropical Africa". Plant Ecology and Evolution. 149 (2): 249–256. doi:10.5091/plecevo.2016.1181.
- ^ a b Mann, Ellen; Rutter, Allison; Zeeb, Barbara (October 2020). "Evaluating the efficacy of Atriplex spp. in the phytoextraction of road salt (NaCl) from contaminated soil". Environmental Pollution. 265 (Pt B): 114963. doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114963. PMID 32806446. S2CID 221162683.
- ^ Prokopiev, I. A.; Filippova, F. V.; Shein, A. A. (March 2012). "Effect of anthropogenic pollution with dust containing heavy metals on seed progeny of spear saltbush". Russian Journal of Plant Physiology. 59 (2): 212–216. doi:10.1134/S1021443712020148. ISSN 1021-4437. S2CID 17780607.
- ^ Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). "Atriplex patula". Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
- ^ NRCS. "USDA PLANTS Profile". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 2008-05-20.
- ^ Sherrod BL, 2001. Geological Society of America Bulletin 113, 1299-1311.
- ^ Milker Y, et al., 2016. Quaternary Science Reviews 142, 143-163.
- ^ Mabey, Richard (2012). Food for Free. London: Collins. p. 104. ISBN 978-000-743847-1.
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