Species

Atriplex patula

Etymology

Atriplex: From an ancient Latin name whose derivation is uncertain, but a possible explanation is the name comes from the Greek a- 'without' and traphein 'nourishment' because many of these species grow in arid desert soils
patula: spreading

Common Name(s)

orache

Family

Amaranthaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Exotic

NVS Species Code

ATRPAT

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Similar Taxa

Stem smooth, slender, 0.3 to 1.2 m long, with numerous spreading branches. Leaves petioled, fleshy, triangular, lanceolate or linear, mostly opposite, usually mealy, especially on lower surface. Flowers small without petals; male and female flowers borne separately on the same plant in scattered spikes at ends of branches and in axils of upper leaves. (Wax, Fawcett and Isely 1981).

Year Naturalised

1853

Origin

Europe, W. Asia

Reproduction
seeds

Seed
Seeds round, grey, bourne between 2 triangular green bracts (Wax, Fawcett and Isely 1981).

This page last updated on 3 May 2011