1. Plants perennial shrubs A.
gardneri (Nuttall's Atriplex) CC
Plants annual or perennial herbs (2)
2. Leaves usually green on both surfaces,
glabrous or sparingly powdery or finely scurfy Key 1
Leaves white to gray, densely and finely scurfy,
especially adaxially (3)
3. Plants perennial A. argentea
(Silvery Atriplex) C
Plants annual Key 3
Key 1
1. Pistillate flowers of 2 kinds: some with
calyx 3-5-lobed and seed horizontal, others lacking perianth, enclosed in pair
of bracteoles, seed vertical; fruiting bracteoles samara-like, strongly
compressed, oval to orbicular or ovate; plants widespread in North
America. A. hortensis
(Garden Atriplex) C
Pistillate flowers all alike or, if dimorphic, both kinds
lacking perianth, enclosed within bracteoles, and seed vertical; fruiting
bracteoles variously compressed (2)
2. Bracteoles ± thickened with spongy tissue,
especially toward base (3)
Bracteoles not thickened (8)
3. Lower leaves linear or ovate-lanceolate,
sometimes toothed and/or with proximal-most lobe largest, but then not
triangular, or if so leaves thick textured A. dioica
(Saline Atriplex) C
Lower leaves (sometimes all or most) triangular and thin
textured A. prostrata
(Hastate Atriplex) C
8. Fruiting bracteoles ovate to elliptic or
orbiculate-cordate (9)
Fruiting bracteoles never orbiculate-cordate, frequently
toothed, usually with lateral angles (14)
9. Bracteoles ovate to widely triangular,
surfaces often 2-tuberculate, margin toothed; leaves usually thickened, ±
scurfy, even at maturity. A. dioica
(Saline Atriplex) C
Bracteoles orbiculate-ovate, surfaces smooth, margin entire;
leaves usually thin, green on both sides, not or scarcely scurfy (10)
10. Leaves broadly triangular-hastate; widely
distributed from Quebec west to British Columbia. A. heterosperma
(Two-Scale Atriplex) VER?
Leaves mostly lanceolate to narrowly hastate; southern
British Columbia, adjacent Alberta, and South Dakota. A. oblongifolia
(Oblong-Leaf Atriplex) VER?
14. Bracteoles rhombic, margin united almost
to middle, lateral angles definite; terminal inflorescence with densely
compressed, ± uniform- sized bracteoles; distal leaves green on both
sides. A. patula
(Fat-Hen Atriplex) FC
Bracteoles ovate or triangular-ovate,
margin free to base, lateral angles lacking; terminal inflorescence with loosely
spaced, larger and smaller bracteoles; distal leaves whitish abaxially. A.
oblongifolia (Oblong-Leaf
Atriplex) VER?
Key 3
1. Leaf blades all or most
of them dentate or sinuate-dentate, leaves all alternate, or opposite only at
proximal-most 1-3 nodes
A.
rosea (Red
Atriplex) UC
Leaf blades not all dentate, some, or all, of them
entire, leaves commonly opposite or subopposite at proximal-most nodes (6)
6. Perianth of staminate flowers cup-shaped,
lobes fleshy-crested on back, pink; bracteole margin united to apex; high plains
and steppes, southeast Alberta and southern Saskatchewan. A.
suckleyi (Rillscale) FC
Perianth of staminate flowers not cup-shaped, lobes ovate,
rounded on back, green in center, becoming membranous near margins; bracteole
margin united at base or to middle; various or other distribution. (14)
14. Bracteoles deltoid to ovate or
hastate-ovate to ovate-oblong, broadest at or near base, often about twice as
long as broad, small, sparingly dentate or tuberculate, or entire or smooth,
acute; leaves small, sessile, blade typically entire, ovate to linear. A.
powellii (Powell's
Atriplex) END
Bracteoles broadest near
or above middle, usually rounded or truncate at apex, or if not so, leaves
dentate; leaves usually large and often some petiolate (but see also A.
coronata) (26)
26. Bracteoles panduriform (fiddle-shaped) in
outline (with 2 lateral rounded lobes lateral to terminal tooth), faces often
obscured by cristate or unaligned appendages; leaf blades conspicuously
3-veined; Alberta and Saskatchewan. A.
powellii (Powell's
Atriplex) END
Bracteoles not panduriform; leaf blades not
conspicuously 3-veined (28)
28. Bracteoles dentate only at truncate apex,
small; southern British Columbia, Alberta, and southwest Saskatchewan. A.
truncata (Wedge-Leaved
Atriplex) END
Bracteoles dentate well below apex, often
to base, large; other distribution A.
argentea (Silvery
Atriplex) C
