Atriplex Sp. - Saltbush, Orach

Family: (Amaranthaceae- Amaranth) (Previously in Chenopodiaceae) ^[E-flora]

Atriplex hortensis

Atriplex hortensis

Atriplex patula

"Generally monoecious annual, to generally dioecious shrub, generally scaly. Leaf: generally alternate, distal ± reduced; blade entire to variously dentate; anatomy Kranz or non-Kranz (see note). Inflorescence: axillary or terminal. Staminate inflorescence: spheric cluster to spike-like or panicle; bracts 0. Pistillate inflorescence: cluster to spike- or panicle-like, occasionally 1; bracts 2 per fruit, enlarged in age, free to variously fused, generally compressed, generally sessile, falling with fruit (or not). Staminate flower: calyx lobes 3–5; stamens 3–5. Pistillate flower: calyx generally ± 0; stigmas 2. Seed: generally erect." ^{[Jepson 2012]}

"[+/-] 250 species: temperate to subtropics worldwide. (Latin: name derived from Greek) [Welsh 2003 FNANM 4:322–381] Generally in alkaline or saline soils; some weedy; some accumulate selenium. Bract descriptions refer to 2 bracts surrounding flower, enlarging in fruit. Australian Atriplex crassipes J.M. Black possibly in South Coast. In this revised taxonomy, Atriplex californica, Atriplex joaquinana moved to Extriplex, Atriplex covillei to Stutzia, both new genera [Zacharias & Baldwin 2010 Syst Bot 35(4):839–857]. Kranz anatomy (observable at 10 ×, sometimes only after scraping off scaly, mealy, or powdery layer) characterized by veins that are darker green than rest of leaf, due to higher concentrations of chloroplasts in bundle-sheath cells surrounding veins." ^{[Jepson 2012]}

Additional Notes:

"The genus Atriplex, commonly called orache, atriplex or saltbush, of the family Chenopodiaceae (the goosefoot family), comprises nearly 200 species. The genus has a worldwide distribution, occurring on all continents except Antarctica. Most of the species are halophytes of coastal or inland saline habitats; a few are widespread ruderals of disturbed ground." (Bassett et al. 1983). ^[E-flora]

Local Species;

1. Atriplex gmelinii- Gmelin's Orache ^{[PCBC][E-flora]}
2. Atriplex hortensis - Garden Orache ^[E-flora]
3. Atriplex patula- Common Orache ^{[PCBC][E-flora]}

Use of Atriplex Sp.

• Atriplex sp.
  • Food Use:
    • Plant: All parts including flowers are edible. ^[EMNMPV.7] "Fernald et al. (1958) comment on two species eaten in New England and eastern Canada. However, no records have been found of eastern tribes eating Atriplex. All of the records seem to be of western tribes. Moerman (1998) listed 18 species that were eaten by people from the Gosiute of the Great Basin west to California. Those same tribes used several species for medicine and dyes (Curtin 1947, Moerman 1998)." ^{[Daniel F. Austin]}
    • "...within the last 100 years a marked shift has occurred, from collecting a variety of plant parts, including leaves of common ruderal and grassland plants cooked for potherb (especially Urtica spp., Chenopodium album, Atriplex spp.), and starch-rich famine plants (Elymus repens, Quercus spp.), to collecting mainly forest and forest edge fruits, and a few species of seasoning." ^{[Luczaj,2007]}
    • "Atriplex sp. ... Leaves: boiled as an ingredient of potherb and soups, often mixed with kasza (cracked grain) or flour, widely used until the mid-20th century, probably in most regions, no longer used .... NOTE. Probably under-recorded, usually not distinguished from Chenopodium (Atriplex and Chenopodium are not distinguished in the local folk taxonomy), probably the species used most commonly was A. patula L. although the only record referring to it is from Lu [39], where the leaves were cooked in a potherb... " ^{[Luczaj,2007]}
    • " Atriplex spp. Salt-bush, Orach. The Indians made a meal from the parched seeds and used the leaves and young shoots as greens (6, 10, 39)." ^{[Krochmal&Paur]}
    • Seeds: Several species of Atriplex have starchy seeds used by the Indians. ^[EWP]
    • Baking Powder: "Atriplex canescens Pursh. Fourwing saltbrush. The Hopi Indians are reported as using the ashes of this plant as a substitute for baking powder (39)." ^{[Krochmal&Paur]}
• Medicinal:
  • Leaves:
    • Smoke: "The Cahuilla of southern California smoked dried leaves to relieve head colds (Bean and Saubel 1972)." ^[UAPDS]
  • A. canescens; "Analgesic, cathartic, coughmedicine, hunting medicine, miscellaneous disease remedy (treatment for itches or rashes such as chickenpox or measles), nose medicine, poison, stimulant, toothache remedy, veterinary aid." ^{[Heaton,2004]}
    

• Bioaccumulative Ability
  • "Plants from this family [Betaceae] are known as highly tolerant to salinity and can be recommended for phytoremediation of salt polluted sites. They are also recognized as efficient in uptaking heavy metals (Rosso et al. 2005). The most common from Betaceae family sugar beet, crop producing very high yield, is not used in phytoremediation because of the problem with utilization of obtained biomass due to high water content. Two other cultivated species accumulating high biomass, Atriplex hortensis and Kochia scoparia, can be recommended for this technology. Both species are ornamental plants, easily propagated from seeds with wide selection of cultivars available offered by seed companies. Most species from this family are not colonized by mycorrhizal fungi." ^[SoilBio-38]
  • Atriplex canescens: Experiments with Atriplex canescens (saltbush biomass) showed that biomass accumulated more Cu, Pb and Zn when pH increased from 2.0 to 5.0 (Sawalha et al., 2007) indicating that carboxyl groups participate in metal binding, most of them in the biomass having pKa values ranging from 3 to 5. ^{[Lichtfouse CCI]}
  • Uranium
    • Atriplex confertifolia; Specific hyperaccumulators (natural and induced) that could be used for phytomining; Uranium - 100 (0.5) Mean metal concentration (mg/kg d.w.) ^{[Anderson,1999]}
    • "Although metal prices of uranium are comparatively high, but its reported metal concentration (100 mg/kg) in biomass (10,000 kg/ha) is low, which makes it uneconomical for phytomining (plant species Atriplex)." ^{[Sheoran,2009]}
  • A. hortensis; "Lopez-Chuken and Young (2005) presented data on the effect of NaCl on Cd absorption by seven species of halophytes (and also by four crops, see below). Plants were grown in soil collected from a sewage disposal farm run and containing 28µg of Cd per 1 l of soil pore water. Salinity was created through the addition of 100 mM NaCl (or NaSO4) to the calculated water-holding capacity (WHC) of soil. ... a significant increase in the Cd concentration in shoots was observed (not more than double the average; the highest increase, 2.8 fold, was observed for A. hortensis).... When calculating per vessel (per plant), the salinity-induced increase in the Cd content was also especially strong in A. hortensis (threefold), just like the absolute value (taking into account the large biomass of this plant, which exceeds those of other halophytes 15-fold)." ^[SoilBio-19]
  • A. halimus; Manousaki and Kalogerakis (2009) revealed that cadmium uptake by cadmium and lead-tolerant Atriplex halimus L. increased with increasing salinity, because of higher bioavailability of the metal in soil. They suggested that it was achieved by displacement of cadmium from binding sites in soil matrix by Na+, solubilization of organic matter bound with the metals, or formation of soluble chloro-complexes of Cd which tend to shift Cd from the solid phase (Norvell et al. 2000; Weggler et al. 2004; Wahla and Kirkham 2008)." ^[Phytorem1]
  • Vickerman et al. (2002) reported that Atriplex species are able to accumulate high amounts of Pb. Pb concentrations up to 1,800 mg kg−1 have been reported in plants from a dump site by Pitchtel et al. (2000). Yoon et al. (2006) also reported up to 1,183 mg kg−1 Pb in 17 species from a metal-contaminated site. ^[Phytorem1]
  • Atriplex species are not hyperaccumulator plants, but they can tolerate and accumulate metals (Lefèvre et al. 2009; Lutts et al. 2004).Mendez et al. (2007) found that other Atriplex species are good candidates for phytostabilization strategies in mine soils. ^[Phytorem1]
  • Atriplex spp. are suggested to be an effective plants for phytoextraction and phytostabilization of HM [Heavy Metal] in saline soils (Lutts et al. 2004; Nedjimia and Daoudb 2009), phytoremediation and phytorehabilitation of degraded lands like sand dunes, saline/alkaline soils, marginal sites with low fertility and poor soil structure (Le Houerou 1992; Ortíz-Dorda et al. 2005; Eid and Eisa 2010). ^{[Ozturk PPT]}
  • Heterotrophic nitrogen fxation estimates for dryland ecosystems - Converted rates - 34.7 ng N (g soil)^–1 h^–1 in laboratory 21 days inclubation at 22^oC, in the dark [Marschner,2007]

Other Uses

A. californica; The long Heshy roots were used as soap by Indians, Mexicans, and early settlers alike. The root was used in the same manner as the Soap Plant, Chenopodium, and the resulting suds were said to be particularly good for washing woolen fabrics. [EuCp. p. 74-75]

Soap Plant - Chenopodium californicum - The large fleshy root was cut into pieces which could be used as cakes of soap or crushed and lathered in water. [EuCp. p. 74-75]

The Indians also made good use of the seeds of this plant, gathering them in large quantities and using them to make mush or brood. The seed was cleaned and parched by tossing with hot coals in a basket. It was then ground and used in several ways. Sometimes the seed was ground without parching and made into the standard mush. This is one of the pinole seeds. [EuCp. p. 74-75]

Cultivation

• "The genus Atriplex has been regarded as non-mycorrhizal, but mycorrhizal symbiosis is reported for several species (Harley, Harley 1987; Brundrett 2009)." [Druva-Lusite,2010]
  
• Salt Tolerance Limits
  • Atriplex lentiformis 500 mM O’Leary et al. [50] ^{[Hasanuzzaman,2014]}
  • Atriplex triangularis 150 mM Gallagher [51] ^{[Hasanuzzaman,2014]}
  • Atriplex hortensis >250 mM Wilson et al. [53] ^{[Hasanuzzaman,2014]}
  • "Very recently, de Souza et al. [103] reported Atriplex nummularia Lindl. as a very potential halophyte that sustains under water-stressed condition on sodic or saline soil. They concluded that the growth patterns and anatomical changes shown by the halophyte A. nummularia Lindl. grown under different soil moisture conditions can contribute signifcantly to the management of soil and water in semiarid regions." ^{[Hasanuzzaman,2014]}
  • Atriplex prostrata - Spring/Summer Leaves, stewed [Tardio,2006]

• Atriplex canescens: Aspergillus ustus, a fungal endophyte, increased root biomass, equivalent shoot biomass when plant unavailable P is provided.[Varma Myco]

Gmelin's Orache - Atriplex gmelinii

Other Names: Gmelin's saltbush ^[E-flora]1

"Atriplex gmelinii is a ANNUAL growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in). It is in flower from Jul to September, and the seeds ripen from Aug to October. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and are pollinated by Wind.Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline and saline soils.
It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure." ^[PFAF]1

Synonyms

• Atriplex gmelinii var. zosterifolia (Hook.) Moq. ^[E-flora]1
• Atriplex patula subsp. obtusa (Cham.) H.M. Hall & Clem. ^[E-flora]1
• Atriplex patula subsp. zosterifolia ^[E-flora]1
• Atriplex patula var. obtusa (Cham.) M. Peck ^[E-flora]1
• Atriplex patula var. zosterifolia (Hook.) C.L. Hitchc. ^[E-flora]1

Status: Native ^[E-flora]1

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." ^[PFAF]1
• Selenium: "Orach is one of the plants with the ability to absorb selenium (a toxic, nonmetallic element) found in soils from Cretaceous or Eocene shales. In South Dakota and Wyoming, livestock poisonings have occurred from animals over-grazing plants that have absorbed this element. Though selenium toxicity has not been a notable problem in the Pacific Northwest, foragers (especially those that travel to those areas) should be aware of the possible toxicity and eat orach in moderation only." ^[Schofield]

• Seed: "Eaten raw or roasted. Ground into flour for making breads and gruel. Late summer to early fall.^[Schofield] "Seed - used in piñole or ground into a meal and used as a thickener in soups and stews, or mixed with cereal flours to enhance their nutritional value when making bread, biscuits, cakes etc. The seeds are up to 3mm wide[270]" ^[PFAF]1
• Greens: Burned and the ashes used as a substitute for baking powder. In good soil, the leaves (especially those of Atriplex hortensis) grow large and make a satisfactory spinach substitute ^[Schofield]
  • Leaves: "Salty leaves that add flavor to wild salads.^[Schofield] Boiled as vegetables and the salty cooking water used in corn dishes. ^[Schofield] Young leaves - cooked[177]" ^[PFAF]1
  • Shoots & Leaves: Spring to summer. ^[Schofield]

• Soap: The roots, which contain saponins, were beaten in water as a soap substitute. ^[Schofield]

• Insect Stings: The mashed leaves, pulverized roots, and crushed flowers of orache are applied to insect bites and stings to reduce swelling ^[Schofield].

• Orach was cultivated in Asia and Africa, and was introduced to England in the mid- 1500s. It is still cultivated in France under the name arroche. ^[Schofield]

• "We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though it should be possible to grow it as a spring-sown annual.Although the range of this species is said to include China, it does not appear in the Flora of China[266]. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Succeeds in full sun in any well-drained but not too fertile soil[200]. Most species in this genus tolerate saline and very alkaline soils[200]." ^[PFAF]1
• "Seed - sow April/May in situ. Germination is usually rapid." ^[PFAF]1

Garden Orache - Atriplex hortensis

Other Names: French spinach ^[E-flora]

"Atriplex hortensis is a ANNUAL growing to 1.8 m (6ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in) at a fast rate.
It is hardy to zone (UK) 6 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Jul to August, and the seeds ripen in September. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and are pollinated by Wind.Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline and saline soils.
It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure." ^[PFAF]

Status: Exotc ^[E-flora]2

General: Annual herb from a taproot; stems decumbent to erect, freely branched, mostly 0.6-2.5 m tall/long. ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}

Flowers: Inflorescence of terminal or axillary spikes or panicles; pistillate flowers of 3 kinds, one with a small calyx and no bracteoles, one with small rounded bracteoles and the third with no calyx but 2 large, 6-12 mm wide, rounded bracteoles, these without teeth, veins merging above the base. ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}

Fruits: Membranous pericarps; seeds of the pistillate flowers without bracteoles, horizontal, small, black, those of the pistillate flowers with more or less heart-shaped bracteoles or the bracteoles rounded at the base, vertical, black or brown and about 2 mm wide. ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}

Habitat / Range

Mesic to dry roadsides and waste places in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; infrequent garden escape in S BC; introduced from Asia. ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}

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. The seed contains saponins[240]. Although poisonous, saponins are poorly absorbed by the human body and so most pass through without harm. Saponins are quite bitter and can be found in many common foods such as some beans. They can be removed by carefully leaching the seed or flour in running water. Thorough cooking, and perhaps changing the cooking water once, will also normally remove most of them. However, it is not advisable to eat large quantities of food that contain saponins. Saponins are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish[K]." ^[PFAF]

Selenium

Orach is one of the plants with the ability to absorb selenium (a toxic, nonmetallic element) found in soils from Cretaceous or Eocene shales. In South Dakota and Wyoming, livestock poisonings have occurred from animals over-grazing plants that have absorbed this element. Though selenium toxicity has not been a notable problem in the Pacific Northwest, foragers (especially those that travel to those areas) should be aware of the possible toxicity and eat orach in moderation only. ^[Schofield]

Edible Uses

Greens: Burned and the ashes used as a substitute for baking powder. ^[Schofield] In good soil, the leaves (especially those of Atriplex hortensis) grow large and make a satisfactory spinach substitute ^[Schofield].

Leaves: Salty leaves that add flavor to wild salads.^[Schofield] Boiled as vegetables and the salty cooking water used in corn dishes. ^[Schofield]

As a spinach and to correct the acidity of sorrel. "Far inferior to spinach".^[ModHerbal] "Leaves - raw or cooked[2, 16, 27, 33]. Used like spinach[9], they have a bland flavour and are traditionally mixed with sorrel leaves in order to modify the acidity of the latter[183]. Another report says that the flavour is stronger than spinach[264]." ^[PFAF]

In French cooking the term pot herb traditionally refers to the six vegetables Atriplex hortensis (orache), Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima (seakale-beet, sea spinach), Lactuca sativa (lettuce), Portulaca oleracea (purslane), Rumex acetosa (sorrel) and Spinacia oleracea (spinach). They are used in the preparation of soups and broths, but because many other vegetables could also be included, the selection is considered arbitrary (Montagne, 1977). ^{[Wickens, EB]}

Shoots & Leaves: Spring to summer. ^[Schofield] Summer " Leaves and young stems, stewed" ^{[Tardio,2006]}

Other Uses

Soap: The roots, which contain saponins, were beaten in water as a soap substitute. ^[Schofield].

Dye: "A blue dye is obtained from the seed[74, 100]." ^[PFAF]

Biomass: "The plant is a potential source of biomass. Yields of 14 tonnes per hectare have been achieved in the vicinity of Landskrona and Lund, Sweden. Higher yields might be expected farther south. If the leaf-protein were extracted, this should leave more than 13 tonnes biomass as by-product, for potential conversion to liquid or gaseous fuels[269]." ^[PFAF]

Medicinal Uses

Whole Plant: "Liniments and emollients prepared from the whole plant, like the juice of the plant, are said to be folk remedies for indurations and tumours, especially of the throat[269]." ^[PFAF]

Insect Stings: The mashed leaves, pulverized roots, and crushed flowers of orache are applied to insect bites and stings to reduce swelling ^[Schofield].

Fruits: "The fruits are purgative and emetic[269]." ^[PFAF]

• Leaves: The leaves are diuretic, emetic and purgative[100, 269]." ^[PFAF]
  • Stimulant: "A stimulant to the metabolism[9]." ^[PFAF]
  • Spring Tonic: "An Infusion is used as a spring tonic and a remedy for tiredness and nervous exhaustion[9]." ^[PFAF]
  • Folk Remedy: "They have been suggested as a folk remedy for treating plethora and lung ailments[269]." ^[PFAF]
  • Gout: Heated with vinegar, hoey and salt and applied, considered to cure a gout attack ^[ModHerbal]

• Seeds:
  • Jaundice: Mixed with wine for 'yellow jaundice ^[ModHerbal]
  • Purgative: They excite vomiting. ^[ModHerbal]

Historical Usage

• Orach was cultivated in Asia and Africa, and was introduced to England in the mid- 1500s. It is still cultivated in France under the name arroche. ^[Schofield]

Cultivation & Propagation

"Orach is a very easily grown plant, doing equally well in a wide variety of well-drained soils, though rich, moisture-retentive soils give the quick growth that is necessary for the production of tender leaves[33, 37, 200, 269]. Plants require a position in full sun and are tolerant of saline and very alkaline soils[200]. They thrive in any temperate climate, and are drought resistant[269]. Orach is reported to tolerate an annual precipitation of 30 to 140cm, an average annual temperature in the range of 6 to 24°C, and a pH of 5.0 to 8.2[269]. Orach was formerly cultivated for its edible leaves, there are some named varieties[183]. It can be grown as a warm weather substitute for spinach[183]. Some forms of this species have bronze or deep red leaves and are occasionally grown as ornamental plants, their leaves taste the same as the green-leafed forms[K]. Plants are fast-growing[238] and usually self-sow quite freely if the surrounding soil is disturbed by hoeing etc[K]. They tolerate hot weather well, but soon go to seed so successive sowings at 4 weekly intervals are required during the growing season if a continuous supply of leaves is required[269]. Leaves can be harvested 40 - 60 days after sowing the seed[269]. This species is a poor companion plant for potatoes, inhibiting their growth when growing close to them[20]." ^[PFAF]

"Seed - sow March to August in situ, only just covering the seed[134]. Germination is usually good and rapid[K]." ^[PFAF]

Synonyms

• Atriplex acuminata Waldst. & Kit. ^[E-flora]
• Atriplex hortensis subsp. nitens (Schkuhr) E. Pons ^[E-flora]
• Atriplex hortensis var. atrosanguinea hort. ^[E-flora]
• Atriplex hortensis var. rubra L. ^[E-flora]
• Atriplex nitens Schkuhr nom. illeg. ^[E-flora]

Common Orache - Atriplex patula

Other names: Spear saltbush ^[E-flora]

"Atriplex patula is a ANNUAL growing to 0.8 m (2ft 7in). It is in flower from Jul to September, and the seeds ripen from Aug to October. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and are pollinated by Wind, insects, self.The plant is self-fertile.
Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline and saline soils.
It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil." ^[PFAF]

Status Exotic ^[E-flora]

"General: Annual herb from a taproot; stems erect or ascending, simple or branched, 5-80 cm tall." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}

"Leaves: Lower leaves opposite, upper leaves alternate, stalked or stalkless, 1-10 cm long, lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, 2-4 cm wide, rounded at the base, smooth or toothed, upper leaves green below, others covered with a whitish mealy substance above and below when young, but becoming glabrous and greenish with maturity." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}

"Flowers: Inflorescence of terminal or axillary spikes or panicles; pistillate bracteoles somewhat basally thickened at maturity, the largest bracteoles somewhat diamond-shaped, margins united almost to the middle, lateral teeth present, densely compressed in the inflorescence, more or less uniform in size, 3-6 mm long." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}

"Fruits: Membranous pericarps; seeds erect, 1.5-2.5 mm long." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}

"Habitat/Range Mesic roadsides, waste places and gardens in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; frequent in S BC; probably introduced from Eurasia." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}

Hazards

Most reports say that no member of this genus contains any toxins and that all have more or less edible leaves. However, one report says that if very large quantities are eaten they can cause photosensitivity [70]. If plants are grown with artificial fertilizers they may concentrate harmful amounts of nitrates in their leaves. ^[PFAF]

• Selenium: Orach is one of the plants with the ability to absorb selenium (a toxic, nonmetallic element) found in soils from Cretaceous or Eocene shales. In South Dakota and Wyoming, livestock poisonings have occurred from animals over-grazing plants that have absorbed this element. Though selenium toxicity has not been a notable problem in the Pacific Northwest, foragers (especially those that travel to those areas) should be aware of the possible toxicity and eat orach in moderation only. ^[Schofield]

Edible Uses

• Seeds: Collected in quantity.^[Harrington] Eaten raw or roasted. Ground into flour for making breads and gruel. Late summer to early fall. ^[Schofield] Ground and mixed with cornmeal or used to thicken soups etc[183]. Small and very fiddly to harvest and use[9].^[PFAF].
• Young Shoots: of the annual kinds have long been a favourite for "greens". Rather juicy and impregnated with salt. Unfavourable when a little old.^[Harrington]
• Greens: Burned and the ashes used as a substitute for baking powder.^[Schofield] In good soil, the leaves (especially those of Atriplex hortensis) grow large and make a satisfactory spinach substitute.^[Schofield] Shoots and Leaves - Spring to summer.^[Schofield]
• Leaves: Salty leaves that add flavor to wild salads.^[Schofield] Boiled as vegetables and the salty cooking water used in corn dishes. ^[Schofield] Young leaves - raw or cooked as a spinach substitute[5, 85, 95, 153, 183]. A fairly bland flavour, a few leaves of stronger-flavoured plants can be added to enhance the taste[9]. ^[PFAF].

Other Uses

Soap: The roots, which contain saponins, were beaten in water as a soap substitute. ^[Schofield]

Medicinal Uses

• Seeds
  • Harvesting: harvested when just ripe.^[ModHerbal]
  • Preparation: One pound of bruised seed to three quarts of spirit (moderate strength), let stand for 6 weeks.^[ModHerbal]
  • Dose: One tablespoon, taken with a cup of water-gruel.^[ModHerbal]
  • Effect: As efficacious as ipecacuanha but milder and without binding the bowels. Also used to cure headaches, wandering pains, and the first attacks of rheumatism.^[ModHerbal]
• Insect Stings: The mashed leaves, pulverized roots, and crushed flowers of orache are applied to insect bites and stings to reduce swelling. ^[Schofield]

Historical Usage

• Orach was cultivated in Asia and Africa, and was introduced to England in the mid- 1500s. It is still cultivated in France under the name arroche. ^[Schofield]
• "...a historic Patwin burial between Grimes and Knights Landing had tens of thousands of cleaned Atriplex patula seeds” (pers. comm. 2004)." ^{[Anderson TTW]}

Nutritional Information

Common Orache – Atriplex patula ^{[Turner, Kuhnlein]}

Cultivation & Propagation

"Succeeds in full sun in any well-drained but not too fertile soil[200]. Prefers a rich soil. Tolerates saline and very alkaline soils[200]."^[PFAF]

"Seed - sow April/May in situ[134]. Germination is usually rapid."^[PFAF]

Synonyms

• A. alaskensis, A. subspicata, A. gmelinii ^[PCBC].
• Atriplex hastata sensu Aellen, non L. ^[E-flora]
• Atriplex latifolia Wahlenb. ^[E-flora]
• Atriplex patula subsp. hastata sensu H.M. Hall & Clem. 1923, non (L.) H.M. Hall ^[E-flora]
• Atriplex patula var. bracteata auct. non Westerlund ^[E-flora]
• Atriplex patula var. erecta (Huds.) Lange ^[E-flora]
• Atriplex patula var. hastata auct. non (L.) A. Gray ^[E-flora]
• Atriplex patula var. japonica Level. ^[E-flora]
• Atriplex patula var. patula ^[E-flora]
• Atriplex patula var. triangularis (Willd.) Thorne & S.L. Welsh ^[E-flora]
• Atriplex prostrata var. triangularis (Willd.) Rauschert ^[E-flora]
• Atriplex triangularis Willd.^[E-flora]

References

• Anderson,1999 - Phytomining for nickel, thallium and gold, C.W.N. Anderson , R.R. Brooks ,Ł, A. Chiarucci , C.J. LaCoste , M. Leblanc , B.H. Robinson , R. Simcock , R.B. Stewart, Journal of Geochemical Exploration 67 (1999) 407–415
• Druva-Lusite,2010 - Diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis in plants from coastal habitats, Ieva Druva-Lusite, Gederts Ievinsh, Environmental and Experimental Biology (2010) 8: 17–34
• [E-flora]
  • [1]Atriplex gmelinii, http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Atriplex%20gmelinii&redblue=Both&lifeform=7 Accessed Dec 9, 2014
  • Atriplex hortensis, http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Atriplex%20hortensis&redblue=Both&lifeform=7 Accessed Dec 9, 2014
  • [3]Atriplex patula, http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Atriplex%20patula&redblue=Both&lifeform=7 Accessed Dec 9 2014
• Bassett et al. 1983 - Bassett, I. J., C. W. Crompton, J. McNeill and P. M. Taschereau. 1983. The genus Atriplex (Chenopodiaceae) in Canada. Monograph #31, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa.
• Hasanuzzaman,2014 - Review Article Potential Use of Halophytes to Remediate Saline Soils, Mirza Hasanuzzaman, Kamrun Nahar, Md. Mahabub Alam, Prasanta C. Bhowmik,
  Md. Amzad Hossain, Motior M. Rahman, Majeti Narasimha Vara Prasad, Munir Ozturk, and Masayuki Fujita, Hindawi Publishing Corporation BioMed Research International Volume 2014, Article ID 589341, 12 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/589341
• Heaton,2004 - An Ethnobotanical and Medical Research Literature Update on the Plant Species Collected in the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1803-1806, Darrall Heaton and Ara DerMarderosian, Bartonia, No. 62, Lewis and Clark Bicentennial: 1803-1806 — 2003-2006 (2004), pp. 63-93
• [Jepson2012] Elizabeth H. Zacharias
• PFAF - Plants for a Future
  • [1]Atriplex gmelinii, http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Atriplex+gmelinii, Accessed Sept 12, 2017
  • [2]Atriplex hortensis, http://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Atriplex+hortensis, Accessed Sept 12, 2017
  • [3]Atriplex patula, http://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Atriplex+patula, Accessed Sept 12, 2017
• Krochmal&Paur - Useful Native Plants in the American Southwestern Deserts, A. Krochmal, S. Paur, and P. Duisberg, Economic Botany
  
• Luczaj,2007 - Wild vascular plants gathered for consumption in the Polish countryside: a review Łukasz Łuczaj and Wojciech M Szymański, Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2007, 3:17 doi:10.1186/1746-4269-3-17, http://www.ethnobiomed.com/content/3/1/17
• Marschner,2007 - Nutrient Cycling in Terrestrial Ecosystems, Petra Marschner Zdenko Rengel (Eds.), Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007
• Sheoran,2009 - Phytomining: A review, V. Sheoran, A.S. Sheoran, P. Poonia, Minerals Engineering 22 (2009) 1007–1019, doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2009.04.001
• Tardio,2006 - Ethnobotanical review of wild edible plants in Spain, Javier Tardio, Manuel Pardo-de-santayana, and Ramon Morales, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 152, 27–71.
  
• wisflora - Taken from Flora of Wisconsin - consortium of Wisconsin Herbaria, http://wisflora.herbarium.wisc.edu/spec_images/bigphoto/ATRPAT_.jpg, Accessed March 18, 2017
• Johann Georg Sturm (Painter: Jacob Sturm), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
• Salicyna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
• Carl Axel Magnus Lindman, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons