/ b &. t 93« ]
A T R IP L E X patula.
Spreading Halberd-leaved Oraché.
POLYOAMIA Monoecta.
Gen. Char. Hermaphr. Cal. in 3 divifions,
inferior. Cor. none. Stam. 5. Style cloven.
Seed i , depreflèd. Female. Cal. 2-leaved. Cor.
none. Style cloven. Seed 1, compreflèd.
Spec. Char. Stem herbaceous, fpreading. Leaves
triangular-lanceolate, fomewhat halberd^fhaped.
Calyx of. the fruit more or lefs tuberculated at the
tides.
S yn . Atriplex patula. Linn. Sp. PI. 1494.
A. haftata. Hudf. 443. With. 274. Hull. 226.
Relh. 379. Sibth. 90. Abbot. 219. Light/. 6$6.
Curt. Lond. fafc. 2. t. 66.
A . fylveftris, folio haftato feu deltoïde. Rail Syn. 15 t.
A l l our botanifts had taken this common Orache for the
A . haflata of Linnæus, till his herbarium difcovered it to be
his patula. The real haftata proves a very different plant,
having the valves of the female calyx, when in fruit, very
large, membranous, reticulated with veins, and bordered with
long fetaceous teeth.
A . patula grows every where on dunghills, wafle or cultivated
land, flowering from June to Auguft. Root always annual,
fibrous. Stem with long fpreading numerous branches.
Leaves alternate, on ftalks, mealy beneath ; the lower ones
haftate, deeply and irregularly toothed ; the upper narrower,
lanceolate, moftly entire. Clufters of flowers terminal and
axillary, long, interrupted, a little leafy. Valves of the female
calyx, which alone feems to ripen feed, triangular, acute,
toothed about the lateral angles, fludded in the middle with a
few prominent tubercles. Seed large, rather fpiral, dotted.
By the fea-fide the whole plant is procumbent, more flefliy,
reddifh, and all the leaves fometimes entire.