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Electronic Flora of South Australia species Fact Sheet

Family: Amaranthaceae
Atriplex prostrata

Citation: Boucher ex DC. in Lam. & DC., Fl. Franc. edn 3, 3:387 (1805).

Synonymy: -A. hastata L. var. salina Wallr. ex Gren. in Gren. & Godron, Fl. Fr. 3:12 (1855).

Common name: Hastate orache, mat saltbush.

Description:
Prostrate to erect annual herb c. 50 cm high, monoecious; branches angular; leaves petiolate, opposite below, alternate above, scurfy to glabrous; lower leaves triangular to hastate, lamina 1.5-5 rarely to 8 cm long, basal lobes (if present) spreading or slightly backwards-pointing, margin entire or sparsely dentate, apex obtuse to acute; upper leaves triangular to narrow-ovate, decreasing in size upwards.

Flowers mixed, clustered, forming paniculate inflorescences.

Fruiting bracteoles sessile, ovate to more often triangular or rhombic, free to the base, 3-6 mm long, entire to dentate, not thickened, smooth or tuberculate on the back, often turning black with age; seed circular; radicle basal, horizontal.

image of FSA1_Atriplex_pro.jpg Atriplex prostrata. Fruit.
Image source: fig. 151f in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).

Published illustration: Ross-Craig (1968) Drawings Brit. Pl. 25: pl. 25 as A. hastata.

Distribution:  Found in wet somewhat saline situations, particularly creek margins and estuaries.

S.Aust.: FR, EP, NL, MU, YP, SL, KI, SE.   W.Aust.; N.S.W.; Vic.; Tas.   Native to Europe.

Conservation status: naturalised

Flowering time: all months.


SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: A polymorphic species not easily distinguishable from some variants of A. patula L. and A. australasica Moq.

Author: Not yet available


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