Atriplex serenana

Atriplex serenana is a species of saltbush known by the common names bractscale and stinking orach. It is native to California and Baja California, where it grows in saline and alkaline soils such as those on alkali flats and beach bluffs. This is a mat-forming annual herb producing scaly stems up to a meter long. The toothed leaves are 1 to 4 centimeters long. The flowers are generally borne in hard clusters along the stem and there is sometimes a spikelike inflorescence of male flowers at the end of the stem. There are two varieties of this species. The rarer of the two, Davidson's saltscale (var. davidsonii), is limited to the coastline of southern California and Baja California.

Description

Annual orache reaching 3 m tall. Flowers July to August; seeds ripen August to September. Monoecious (both male and female flowers on same plant); wind-pollinated. Tolerates light sandy and medium loamy soils, well-drained preferred, and survives in nutritionally poor, mildly acid, neutral, very alkaline, and saline soils. Requires full sun; handles drought and maritime exposure. Hardy to UK zone 8.

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves Seed Edible Uses: Condiment Edibility (summary & rating). Leaves used as a potherb by the Kawaiisu. Expect a salty or bitter taste; boil to tame it. Edibility rating: 3/5 (workable boiled green in small portions). Parts used & preparation. Leaves: Harvest tender growth; boil (one or more water changes if very salty); use as a side green. Seeds: Not documented in your notes; treat as with other Atriplex if attempted. Leaves and young plants - cooked. They are usually boiled with other foods as a salty flavouring. Seed - cooked. Used in piñole or ground into a meal and used as a thickener in making bread, or mixed with flour in making bread. Traditional uses. Kawaiisu boiled greens. Harvest tips. Favor pre-flowering leaves; if strongly briny, blanch and refresh in clean water before final cooking.

Medicinal Uses

None known

Known Hazards

No member of this genus contains any toxins, all have more or less edible leaves. However, if grown with artificial fertilizers, they may concentrate harmful amounts of nitrates in their leaves.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant.

Where It Grows

North America, USA,

Cultivation

Season & phenology. Can bloom spring through autumn depending on moisture. Identification notes. Small annual, scurfy foliage; conspicuous, often broad bracts enclosing the utricles; stays low to the ground. Habitat & distribution. Coastal/inland saline flats, disturbed soils in southern California. Growing conditions & cultivation. Full sun; drought/salt tolerant; light, alkaline soils; minimal water. Hardiness. Warm-season annual; reseeds in USDA 8–11 (and warmer parts of 7). Size & habit. 10–30 cm tall, mounding patches. Weed potential. Low–moderate. Opportunistic in disturbed salt patches but not typically aggressive. Lookalikes & cautions. Other small oraches; apply oxalate/nitrate precautions.

Propagation

Propagation. By seed; surface-sow or cover very lightly; good drainage and warmth.

Other Uses

None known Special Uses

Notes

There are about 100-300 Atriplex species. They have also been put in the family Chenopodiaceae.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Atriplex serenana — Bractscale

References (4)

• Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M., and James A. Duke. "The Foodplant Database." http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300/cgi-bin/browse/foodplantdb.(ACEDB version 4.0 - data version July 1994) (As Atriplex bracteosa)
• Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
• Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 17:99. 1904 (Abrams, Fl. Los Angeles 128. 1904)
• Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 9:116. 1874 (non Trautv. 1870) (As Atriplex bracteosa)

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