Atriplex dimorphostegia Kar. & Kir.

Egyptian desert and Sinai.

North Africa, Sinai, Arabia to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Sandy plains, slightly saline soils.

Annual.

At least two varieties of this very polymorphic species have been recognized in China. Atriplex dimorphostegia var. sagittiformis differs from var. dimorphostegia in having plants usually taller (30–40 cm), leaf blade margin with a pair of lobes near the base, and fruiting bracts triangular-hastate (not cordate or suborbicular) and apically acuminate.

Herbs annual, 15-30(-45) cm tall. Stem much branched; branches decumbent or obliquely spreading, not furfuraceous or upper part furfuraceous, lustrous sericeous. Leaves subsessile; leaf blade ovate, broadly so, deltoid, or cordate, succulent, 1-4(-5) × 1-3 cm, both surfaces gray-green, but abaxially often densely furfuraceous, base rounded to broadly cuneate, margin entire to shallowly irregularly sinuate-dentate, apex rounded, usually mucronulate. Inflorescences of axillary, usually 3-8-flowered glomerules. Male flowers 4- or 5-merous. Fruiting bracts connate only near base, cordate or suborbicular, furfuraceous, basal central part with prominent appendages, base emarginate, margins sparingly dentate, with green, reticulate veins, apex obtuse or acute; pedicel stout, 2-3 mm, usually thinner at base. Utricle ovoid; pericarp white, membranous, adnate to seed. Seed brown, not lustrous, compressed, ca. 1.5 mm. Fl. and fr. May-Jul.

Annual, monoecious herb, prostrate to ascending, up to 50 cm long, whitish glabrous. Leaves 10-60 x 10-30 mm, alternate, ovate or deltoid, ± truncate at base, entire to sub-irregularly sinuate-dentate, scurfy-mealy beneath, almost glabrous above. Flower clusters axillary or arranged in terminal spicate inflorescences; lower clusters pistillate, upper ones mixed. Male flowers with 4-5, membranous-yellowish segments; stamens 4-5, pistillode short. Bracteoles of pistillate flowers dimorphic, conspicuously stipitate; those of lower clusters sinuate-lobed, ± smooth; those of upper ones smaller, c. 5 x 3 mm, triangular-ovate with 1-3 teeth on each side, with crested back; stigmas free to base; seeds of 2 sizes; larger ones 2-2.5 mm in diameter, shining dark-brown.

Distribution: Central (Kirghizstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Sinkiang, Turkemenistan, Afghanistan) and southwest Asia (S.Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Pakistan), and North Africa.

Fl. Per.: April-May.

A very variable species found growing in deserts and sandy areas.

Deserts, dunes, sandy places, alluvial fans, sometimes in fields. Xinjiang [Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan; N Africa, SW Asia].

Atriplex dimorphostegia var. sagittiformis Aellen.

A. dimorphostegia Kar. & Kir. var. sagittiformis Aellen in Bot. Jahrb. 70: 36. 1939.