Atriplex stipitata

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Atriplex stipitata
Iconography of Australian salsolaceous plants (1889) (20746090495).jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Amaranthaceae
Genus: Atriplex
Species:
A. stipitata
Binomial name
Atriplex stipitata
Synonyms [3]

Atriplex stipitata, commonly known as mallee saltbush, bitter saltbush and kidney saltbush, [4] is a species of shrub in the family Amaranthaceae, found in all mainland states of Australia. [3]

Contents

In South Australia, it flowers all year round, [5] however in other states generally flowers from spring through to autumn. A. stipitata is not considered a threatened species. [6]

Description

Atriplex stipitata is an erect, generally dioecious, shrub which grows to 1 meter (3.3 ft) in height. Its leaves are elliptic and entire, with the apices either obtuse or rounded. The leaf blade is 7 to 25 mm long on a petiole which is 2 to 3 mm long. Male flowers form disjunct spikes, and the well-spaced clusters of female flowers form slender spikes. Bracteoles surround a superior ovary, on a slender stipe which is up to 1 cm long. [4] A. stipitata generally flowers from spring through to autumn. The common name 'kidney saltbush' is derived from the kidney shape of the fruits. When in season, the distinctive fruits make it easily identified. [7]

In 2020, N.G.Walsh & Sluiter described a sub species of A. stipitata. This sub species, miscella, presents as a monoecious plant. This sub species varies to the dioecious form. It is distinguished by having finer stems with narrow leaves. It is an erect and gracile shrub and is not as robust as the dioecious taxa with a shorter lifespan. Miscella grows from 60–100 centimeters (24–39 in) with sparser stems, making it a more narrow shrub than the sub species stipitatas which is often wider than it is tall. [7]

Kidney shaped fruits distinctive to Atriplex stipitata Atriplex stipitata fruits.jpg
Kidney shaped fruits distinctive to Atriplex stipitata

Taxonomy and naming

George Bentham first described A. stipitata in 1870. [1] [2] The specific epithet, stipitata, is a Latin adjective (past participle) meaning "stemmed", that is, "having a stipe or a stem", [8] [9] and refers to the stemmed fruit. [2]

There are 2 subspecies of A. stipitata in the Flora of Victoria as listed below

The epithet, miscella, is a Latin word meaning “mixed”, believed to be referring to the mixed male and female flowers presented together. [7]

Distribution and occurrence

A. stipitata is widely spread across Australia, found in all mainland states. It is most abundant in semi arid and arid zones of inland parts of South Australia and Western New South Wales. Although A. stipitata has been observed in numerous different habitats, it predominately occurs in the mallee region of Victoria and South Australia and in open wooded areas.

Western Australia – subsp. stipitata is commonly found in the south-western region. Subsp. miscella remains rare, with only a single collection.

Northern Territory – subsp. miscella is the more common species found in Northern Territory, however both species are present in the southern regions.

South Australia – subsp. stipitata can be found in all mainland regions of South Australia except the south-east. Subsp. miscella is currently limited to the Flinders Ranges and Murray Mallee regions.

Queensland – subsp. miscella is the more common species in Queensland, however both species are relatively rare in the state, appearing only in the Warrego Pastoral District.

New South Wales – both subsp's are similarly dispersed across western New South Wales.

Victoria – subsp. stipitata occurs in the far north-west and near Bacchus Marsh. Subsp. miscella is limited to the far north-west. [7]

Seeds from the A. stipitata can be distributed worldwide. A. stipitata has been introduced to the California coastline in the United States of America to aid in the rehabilitation of saline soils. [11]

Habitat

A. stipitata prefers saline soils of clay loam and coarse textured soils. It is often sighted in areas with solonized brown soils which are high in calcium and magnesium carbonate, and thrives in eroded red soils when there is limited competition from other species. [12] A.stipitata subsp stipitata is more frequently observed in mixed chenopod shrublands and has a stronger affinity to saline soils whereas subsp miscella is more commonly observed in open woodlands. A. stipitata survives well in dry degraded soils and has been reportedly sighted in creek banks, stony flats, slopes and ridges, flat plains and outwash plains. [7]

Uses

Traditional

A. stipitata, also known as bitter saltbush, is one of the lesser consumed saltbush due to its bitter flavour. However, saltbush was used for traditional medicinal purposes. The leaves of saltbush plants were ground down and mixed with water to form a saline solution used to clean and disinfect mild skin conditions and wounds.

Agricultural

A. stipitata performs well on agricultural land, as it is not the most palatable of the saltbush species. This species only becomes favourable to sheep and livestock when other forage is scarce. A. stipitata is high in potassium, nitrogen and protein with high digestibility making it suitable for agriculture grazing, however the high sodium content in the plant make it only desirable when there is water readily available. [13] Agriculture farmers have observed a link to saltbush grazing and an increase in milk production and more successful birth rates in sheep. This is attested not only to the nutrient value of the plant, but also to the increased water intake of the sheep when grazing.

Related Research Articles

<i>Atriplex</i> Genus of flowering plant

Atriplex is a plant genus of about 250 species, known by the common names of saltbush and orache. It belongs to the subfamily Chenopodioideae of the family Amaranthaceae s.l.. The genus is quite variable and widely distributed. It includes many desert and seashore plants and halophytes, as well as plants of moist environments. The generic name originated in Latin and was applied by Pliny the Elder to the edible oraches. The name saltbush derives from the fact that the plants retain salt in their leaves; they are able to grow in areas affected by soil salination.

<i>Atriplex amnicola</i> Species of flowering plant

Atriplex amnicola, commonly known as river saltbush or swamp saltbush, is a species of shrub in the family Amaranthaceae. Endemic to Western Australia, it is native to the floodplains of the Murchison and Gascoyne Rivers.

<i>Mirbelia</i> Genus of legumes

Mirbelia is a plant genus belonging to the family Fabaceae and is endemic to Australia, occurring in every mainland state except South Australia. Plants in the genus Mirbelia are prickly, perennial shrubs with simple, sometimes sharply-pointed leaves, or the leaves absent. The flowers are arranged singly or in groups in leaf axils or on the ends of branches, the sepals joined at the base with five teeth. The petals are usually red, orange, purplish or bluish and the fruit is an inflated pod.

<i>Atriplex semibaccata</i> Species of plant

Atriplex semibaccata, commonly known as Australian saltbush, berry saltbush, or creeping saltbush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a perennial herb native to Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales, but has been introduced into other states and to overseas countries. It flowers and fruits in spring, and propagates from seed when the fruit splits open. This species of saltbush is adapted to inconsistent rainfall, temperature and humidity extremes and to poor soil. It is used for rehabilitation, medicine, as a cover crop and for fodder. Its introduction to other countries has had an environmental and economic impact on them.

<i>Atriplex cinerea</i> Species of plant

Atriplex cinerea, commonly known as grey saltbush, coast saltbush, barilla or truganini, is a plant species in the family Amaranthaceae. It occurs in sheltered coastal areas and around salt lakes in the Australian states of Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales.

<i>Atriplex paludosa</i> Species of saltbush

Atriplex paludosa, commonly known as marsh saltbush, is a species of saltbush endemic to Australia.

<i>Atriplex vesicaria</i> Species of plant

Atriplex vesicaria, commonly known as bladder saltbush, is a species of flowering plant of the family Amaranthaceae and is endemic to arid and semi-arid inland regions of Australia. It is an upright or sprawling shrub with scaly leaves and separate male and female plants, the fruit often with a bladder-like appendage.

<i>Eucalyptus oleosa</i> Species of plant

Eucalyptus oleosa, commonly known as the red mallee, glossy-leaved red mallee, acorn mallee, oil mallee or giant mallee, is a tree or mallee that is native to Australia. The leaves were once harvested for the production of cineole based eucalyptus oil. Eucalyptus cneorifolia is now the predominant strain used in production due to a higher oil content in new growth.

<i>Atriplex lentiformis</i> Species of bush

Atriplex lentiformis is a species of saltbush.

<i>Atriplex nummularia</i> Species of plant

Atriplex nummularia is a species of saltbush from the family Amaranthaceae and is a large woody shrub known commonly as oldman saltbush. A. nummularia is native to Australia and occurs in each of the mainland states, thriving in arid and semi-arid inland regions.

Atriplex parryi is a species of saltbush known by the common name Parry's saltbush. It is native to the deserts and plateaus of eastern California and western Nevada.

Atriplex spinifera is a species of saltbush, known by the common names spiny saltbush and spinescale saltbush.

<i>Atriplex watsonii</i> Species of aquatic plant

Atriplex watsonii is a species of saltbush known by the common name Watson's saltbush, or Watson's orach. It is native to the coastline of California and Baja California, where it grows in coastal areas with saline soils, such as salt marshes and beach scrub, with other halophytes such as saltgrass. It extends inland in the Los Angeles Basin, and along the Santa Ana River.

<i>Atriplex gardneri</i> Species of flowering plant

Atriplex gardneri is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family known by the common name Gardner's saltbush. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to Saskatchewan in Canada south to Nevada and New Mexico in the United States. The specific epithet of the species, gardneri, is misnamed after its first collector, Alexander Gordon. The naturalist Alfred Moquin-Tandon was under the impression that Gordon's last name was Gardner.

Atriplex acanthocarpa is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family known by the common names armed saltbush, tubercled saltbush, and huaha. It is native to North America, where it is limited to the US states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, and adjacent Mexico.

<i>Atriplex nuttallii</i> Species of flowering plant

Atriplex nuttallii, also known as Nuttall's saltbush, is native to central and western North America. It has been treated by some botanists as a synonym of Atriplex canescens.

<i>Eremophila subfloccosa</i> Species of plant

Eremophila subfloccosa, also known as dense-felted eremophila is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a shrub which often has foliage covered with soft hairs, giving the plant a silvery grey hue and making it soft to touch. The leaves are strongly scented when crushed. Its flowers are usually greenish yellow in colour and have the stamens protruding from the ends. Dense-felted eremophila is common after fire, but becomes less so as others recover and compete with it.

<i>Atriplex holocarpa</i> Species of flowering plant

Atriplex holocarpa is a low-growing species of Atriplex (saltbush) found throughout arid regions of Australia. A. holocarpa is commonly known as pop saltbush, because its carpals pop when stepped upon.

<i>Atriplex sturtii</i> Australian shrub

Atriplex sturtii, commonly known as saltbush, is an endangered species within the widespread genus Atriplex.A. sturtii is a native Australian shrub and grows in the Channel Country bioregion, also referred to as 'Corner Country'.

<i>Maireana erioclada</i> Species of Australian plant

Maireana erioclada, commonly known as the rosy bluebush, is a common shrub endemic to Australia, belonging to the genus Maireana.

References

  1. 1 2 "Atriplex stipitata". Australian Plant Name Index, IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  2. 1 2 3 Bentham, G. (1870) Flora Australiensis 5: 168 Retrieved 24 September 2019
  3. 1 2 "Atriplex stipitata Benth. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  4. 1 2 "Flora of Australia online profile Atriplex stipitata". profiles.ala.org.au. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  5. "eFloraSA: Atriplex stipitata". Electronic Flora of South Australia. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  6. "Atriplex stipitata". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Lectotypification of Atriplex stipitata Benth. (Chenopodiaceae) and recognition of a new subspecies Neville G. Walsh1 and Ian R. K. Sluiter2 1 Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Birdwood Avenue, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.
  8. Stearn, W.T. (2004). Botanical Latin (4th ed). Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. p. 505.
  9. Backer, C.A. (1936) Verklarend woordenboek der wetenschappelijke namen van de in Nederland en Nederlandsch-Indië in het wild groeiende en in tuinen en parken gekweekte varens en hoogere planten (Edition Nicoline van der Sijs).
  10. "Atriplex stipitataBenth. Kidney Saltbush". VicFlora. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  11. Lindstrand, L., Nelson, J. K., Riefner, R. E., Hrusa, G. F., Mallinson, D., Lepschi, B., ... & Primrose, B. (2008). Noteworthy collections. Madroño, 55(4), 306-313.
  12. G.M. Cunningham, WE Mulham, PL Milthorpe and J H Leigh (1981 and later printings) Plants of Western New South Wales
  13. Heshmatti, G. A., Facelli, J. M., & Conran, J. G. (2002). The piosphere revisited: plant species patterns close to waterpoints in small, fenced paddocks in chenopod shrublands of South Australia. Journal of Arid Environments, 51(4), 547-560. doi:10.1006/jare.2002.0969