Atriplex
Desert Holly (Atriplex hymenelytra) leaves and bracts
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida (unranked) Core eudicots Order: Caryophyllales Family: Amaranthaceae Subfamily: Chenopodioideae Genus: Atriplex L.
Species
About 100-200, see text

Atriplex (Á-tri-plex) is a plant genus of 100-200 species, known by the common names of saltbush and orache (or orach). Atriplex hymenelytra is a species of saltbush known by the common name desert holly. Atriplex hymenelytra is a species of saltbush known by the common name desert holly. In Botany, a bract is a modified or specialized Leaf. Bracts are ordinarily associated with reproductive structures (subtending Flowers Inflorescence Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. The flowering plants or angiosperms ( Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta) are the most widespread group Magnoliopsida is the Botanical name for a class of Flowering plants By definition the class will include the family Magnoliaceae, but its Eudicots and Eudicotyledons are terms introduced by Doyle & Hotton (1991 to refer to a group of Flowering plants that had been called "tricolpates" or "non-Magnoliid Caryophyllales is an order of Flowering plants that includes the cacti, carnations Amaranths Ice plants and most The Flowering plant family Amaranthaceae, the Amaranth family contains about 160 genera and 2400 species The Chenopodioideae is a subfamily of the Flowering plant family Amaranthaceae, formerly treated as a distinct family Chenopodiaceae, and comprising Carl Linnaeus (Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as, May 23 new style (13 May old style 1707 who laid the foundations for In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. Syllable stress of botanical names varies with the language spoken A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. The genus is quite variable and widely distributed. It includes many desert and seashore plants and halophytes, as well as plants of moist environments. biosalinity|halophile A halophyte is a Plant that naturally grows where it is affected by Salinity in the root area or by salt spray such as in saline semi-deserts The goosefoot subfamily (Chenopodioideae) of the Amaranthaceae, in which the genus Atriplex is placed in the APG II system, was formerly considered a distinct family (Chenopodiaceae). In Biological classification, family ( Latin The Chenopodioideae is a subfamily of the Flowering plant family Amaranthaceae, formerly treated as a distinct family Chenopodiaceae, and comprising The Flowering plant family Amaranthaceae, the Amaranth family contains about 160 genera and 2400 species In Biological classification, family ( Latin

Saltbushes are extremely tolerant of salt content in the ground: their name derives from the fact that they retain salt in their leaves, which makes them of great use in areas affected by soil salination. Salt is a Dietary mineral composed primarily of Sodium chloride that is essential for Animal life but toxic to most land plants Soil salinity is the salt content in the soil Salt affected soils are caused by excess accumulation of salts typically most pronounced at the soil surface

Atriplex species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species; see the list of Lepidoptera which feed on Atriplex. A larva ( Latin; plural larvae) is a juvenile form of Animal with indirect development, undergoing Metamorphosis (for example Lepidoptera is an order of Insect that includes Moths and butterflies. Atriplex species are used as food plants by the Larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Monophagous species which feed For spiders such as Phidippus californicus and other arthropods, saltbush plants offer opportunities to hide and hunt in habitat that is otherwise often quite barren. Spiders are Predatory Invertebrate Animals that have two body segments, eight legs no chewing mouth parts and no wings Phidippus californicus is a species of Jumping spider. It is found in the southwestern USA ( Arizona, New Mexico, Arthropods are Animals belonging to the Phylum Arthropoda (from Greek ἄρθρον arthron, " Joint " A habitat (which is Latin for "it inhabits" is an Ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular Species.

Garden Orache (A. Atriplex hortensis, also known as Garden Orache, Red Orach, Mountain Spinach, French Spinach or simply " Orache hortensis)
From Sturm & Sturm (1796): Deutschlands Flora in Abbildungen. Jacob Sturm (1771 -1848 was the most famous Engraver of entomological and botanical scientific publications in Germany at the end of the 18th

Use by humans

Many species are edible. However, the favored species for human consumption is Garden Orache (A. Atriplex hortensis, also known as Garden Orache, Red Orach, Mountain Spinach, French Spinach or simply " Orache hortensis). Use of Atriplex as food is known since at least the late Epipaleolithic (Mesolithic). The Epipaleolithic is a term used for the "final Upper Palaeolithic industries occurring at the end of the final glaciation which appear to merge technologically into the The Ertebølle culture presumably used Common Orache (A. patula) as a vegetable (A. The Ertebølle culture (ca 5300 BC-3950 BC ( Danish pronunciation:) is the name of a Hunter-gatherer and fisher culture dating to the end of the Atriplex patula L ( Spear Saltbush; Common Orache; Spear Orach; Spreading Orach) is a Ruderal species of annual Atriplex patula L ( Spear Saltbush; Common Orache; Spear Orach; Spreading Orach) is a Ruderal species of annual patula is attested as an archaeophyte in northern Europe). An archaeophyte is a plant species which is non-native to a geographical region but which was introduced in "ancient" times rather than being a modern introduction In the biblical Book of Job, mallûḥa (מַלּ֣וּחַ, probably Mediterranean Saltbush, A. The term Hebrew Bible is a generic reference to those books of the Bible originally written in Biblical Hebrew (and the related Biblical Aramaic The Book of Job ( איוב) is one of the books of the Hebrew Bible. Atriplex halimus ( Mediterranean saltbush, Sea orache, Shrubby orache) is a species of Fodder Shrub in the Amaranthaceae halimus, the major culinary saltbush in the region) is mentioned as food eaten by social outcasts (Job 30:4^[1]). Grey Saltbush (A. cinerea) is used as bushfood in Australia since prehistoric times. Atriplex cinerea ( Grey Saltbush, Coast Saltbush or Barilla) is a species of Plant in the Chenopodiaceae family Atriplex cinerea ( Grey Saltbush, Coast Saltbush or Barilla) is a species of Plant in the Chenopodiaceae family Bushfood (also called bush tucker) refers to any food native to Australia and used as sustenance by the original inhabitants the Australian Aborigines, For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Chamiso (A. Atriplex canescens ( Chamiso, Chamiza, Four wing saltbush, Four-wing saltbush, Fourwing saltbush) is a species of canescens) and Shadscale (A. Atriplex confertifolia ( Shadscale) is a species of Evergreen Shrub in the Chenopodiaceae family which is native to the western confertifolia) were eaten by Native Americans, and Spearscale (A. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. hastata) was a food in rural Eurasia. For the superstate in George Orwell 's novel see Nations of Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Atriplex pacifica

The Garden Orache (A. hortensis), also called Red Orach, Mountain Spinach or French Spinach, is an annual leaf vegetable with a salty, spinach-like taste. Leaf vegetables, also called potherbs, greens, or leafy greens, are plant leaves eaten as a Vegetable, sometimes accompanied Salt is a Dietary mineral composed primarily of Sodium chloride that is essential for Animal life but toxic to most land plants Spinach ( Spinacia oleracea) is a Flowering plant in the family of Amaranthaceae.

Atriplex elegans

Atriplex latifolia

Silvery Saltbush
Atriplex lentiformis

The plant grows 1-2 m (3-6 ft) in height and the leaves are used cooked or in salads. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit Salad is a mixture of cold foods usually including vegetables and/or fruits often with a dressing occasionally nuts or Croutons, and sometimes with the addition of It was commonly grown in Mediterranean regions from early times until spinach became the more favored leaf vegetable. Spinach ( Spinacia oleracea) is a Flowering plant in the family of Amaranthaceae. The leaves can come in red, white and green varieties. The green leaves were once used to color pasta in Italy. Pasta ( Italian for "dough" is a generic term for Italian variants of Noodles. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Another common use of orach is to balance out the acidic flavor of sorrel. Common sorrel ( Rumex acetosa) also known as spinach dock, is a perennial herb that is cultivated as a garden Herb or ^[2]

Meat from sheep which have grazed on saltbush has surprisingly high levels of vitamin E, is leaner and more hydrated than regular lamb and has consumer appeal equal to grain-fed lamb. See also Tocopherol, Tocotrienol Vitamin E is the collective name for a set of 8 related Tocopherols and Tocotrienols which are fat-soluble The vitamin E levels could have animal health benefits while extending the shelf-life and maintaining the fresh red colour of saltbush lamb. This effect has been demonstrated for Old Man Saltbush (A. nummularia) and River Saltbush (A. Atriplex amnicola, commonly known as river saltbush or swamp saltbush, is a species of Shrub in the Amaranthaceae family amnicola). For reasons unknown, sheep seem to prefer the more fibrous, less nutritious River Saltbush. ^[3]

Saltbushes are also used as an ornamental plant in landscaping and can be used to prevent soil erosion in coastal areas. Ornamental plants are typically grown in the flower Garden or as House plants Most commonly they are grown for the display of their Flowers Other common Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land including physical elements such as Landforms living elements of flora and fauna abstract elements such as lighting Erosion is the carrying away or displacement of solids ( Sediment, Soil, rock and other particles usually by the agents of currents such as wind

Selected species

Spear-leaved Orache (Atriplex prostrata) seeds

Atriplex suberecta

Silvery Saltbush
Atriplex argentea

Halimione portulacoides (Sea-purslane) and H. Atriplex vesicaria, commonly known as Bladder Saltbush, is a species of Saltbush endemic to Australia. Atriplex vesicaria, commonly known as Bladder Saltbush, is a species of Saltbush endemic to Australia. "Sea purslane" redirects here This can also refer to Shoreline Purslane ( Sesuvium portulacastrum) pedunculata (Pedunculate Sea-purslane) were formerly placed in Atriplex too. A. alba and A. viridis' are synonyms of Chenopodium album (White Goosefoot). Chenopodium album is a fast-growing Weedy Annual plant in the genus Chenopodium.

Footnotes

1. ^ Mistranslated as "mallows" in the King James Bible and as Nesseln (nettles) in the Luther Bible
2. ^ Davidson (1999)
3. ^ Norman et al. Nettle is the common name for between 30-45 species of Flowering plants of the genus Urtica in the family Urticaceae, with a cosmopolitan though The Luther Bible is a German Bible translation by Martin Luther, first printed with both testaments in 1534 (2004), Pearce & Jacob (2004)
4. ^ Tasmanian name, also transcribed trucanini, trucaninny, trugannini, trugernanna, etc. The Tasmanian languages are the indigenous languages of the island of Tasmania, Australia. The plant was the namesake for Truganini, among the last of her people. Truganini (ca 1812 – May 8 1876) is the person generally considered to be the last "full blood" Tasmanian Aborigine. The Tasmanian Aborigines ( Aboriginal name Palawa) are the indigenous people of the island state of Tasmania, Australia.

External links and References

• Davidson, Alan (1999): Orach. In: Oxford Companion to Food: 556. ISBN 0-19-211579-0
• Everitt, J. H. ; Lonard, R. L. , Little, C. R. (2007). Weeds in South Texas and Northern Mexico. Lubbock: Texas Tech University Press.   ISBN 0-89672-614-2
• Pearce, Kelly & Jacob, Robin (2004): Saltbush lifts sheep meat vitamin content. Farming Ahead 153(October): 63. PDF fulltext
• Norman, Hayley C. ; Freind, Colby; Masters, David G. ; Rintoul, Allan J. ; Dynes, Robyn A. & Williams, Ian H. (2004): Variation within and between two saltbush species in plant composition and subsequent selection by sheep. Aust. J. Agr. Res. 55(9): 999–1007. The Australian Journal of Agricultural Research'' ( ISSN 0004-9409 is a peer-reviewed Scientific journal published by CSIRO PUBLISHING presenting the doi:10.1071/AR04031 (HTML abstract)