Atriplex rosea L.
Chenopodiaceae (Goosefoot Family)
Eurasia
Red Scale
Tumbling Oracle
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Atriplex rosea L.Chenopodiaceae (Goosefoot Family)Eurasia
Red ScaleTumbling Oracle
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June Photo
Plant Characteristics:
Erect annual, 1-10 dm. high, the branches arched-ascending, mealy or
glabrate; lvs. mostly alternate, short petioled to subsessile, ovate or
rhombic-ovate, sinuate-dentate above the cuneate base, 2-5 cm. long, the upper
reduced, entire; fls. in axillary glomerules or interrupted terminal spikes;
male calyx 5-cleft; fruiting bracts rhombic or ovate, 4-6 mm. long united to
about the middle, broadest at or above the middle, firm, often warty, becoming
hard and almost bonelike; seed 1.5-2 mm. long, flattened with convex sides,
yellowish-brown and unevenly wrinkled.
Habitat:
Alkaline places below 7000 ft.; many Plant Communities; widespread in
Calif.; to L. Calif., Wash., Atlantic Coast.
July-Oct.
Name:
Atriplex, the ancient Latin
name for these plants. (Dale 95).
Latin, roseus, ruddy.
(Jaeger 224).
General:
Moderately common in the study area.
Photographed on the bank top along Eastbluff Dr., Big Canyon, and the
east side of the Delhi Ditch. (my
comments). All
of the Atriplex feel mealy when you rub the leaves.
(Dale 95). I
have found what appears to be a perennial A. rosea plant along the Santa
Ana Heights bike path built in 1987. This
plant fruits in January and even though it keys to A.
rosea, Fred Roberts believes
that it is some other unknown species from the southern hemisphere. (my comments). Later
comment, this plant was identified as A.
glauca and was introduced with hydromulching when the horse and bike path
was built.
Text Ref:
Hickman, Ed. 505; Munz, Flora So.
Calif. 357. Robbins et al. 145.
Photo Ref:
June 2 83 # 23,24; June 6 83 # 34; Mar 3 85 # 10; June 88 # 15A,16A,17A.
Identity: by R. De Ruff,
confirmed by F. Roberts.
First Found: June 1983.
Computer Ref: Plant Data 217.
Have plant specimen.
Last edit 3/3/05.
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