Atriplex lentiformis (Torr.) S.Watson, Chenopodiaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Atriplex breweri S. Watson; Obione lentiformis Torr.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: big saltbush, lens scale, quailbush

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Shrubs, dioecious or less commonly monoecious, mainly 10-25 (-35) dm, as broad or broader, unarmed or rarely so; branchlets terete, commonly puberulent. Leaves persistent, alternate, petiolate; blade gray-green, deltate to rhombic, ovate, or oblong-elliptic, 5-50 x 5-50 mm, base truncate to subhastate, margin entire to repand or subhastately lobed, apex rounded to obtuse, scurfy. Staminate flowers yellow, in clusters 1-2 mm wide, borne in panicles 0.5-5 dm. Pistillate flowers with less complex panicles. Fruiting bracteoles sessile, orbiculate to oval, greatly compressed, mainly 3-4.5 mm and wide, crenulate, apex rounded. Seeds brown, 0.8-1.6 mm wide"  (Flora of North America online).

"Erect, widely spreading shrubs; stems sprawling, 10-30 dm long, ± spinose.  leaves oblong to ovate-deltate, 1.5-4 (-5) cm long, 0.5-2.5 cm wide, usually densely grayish mealy pubescent.  Flowers unisexual (and the plants dioecious), in dense, terminal panicles.  Fruiting bracts of pistillate flowers connate ca. 1/2 their length, orbicular-ovate, 3-4 (-5) mm long, margins entire to minutely crenulate.  Seed brown, 1.2-1.5 mm long (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 535).

Habitat/ecology:  Alkaline sites in its native habitat (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 535).  In the United States (native), "saline to essentially non-saline drainages, stream and canal banks, roadsides, warm desert shrub, saltbush, and riparian communities; 70-1000 m"  (Flora of North America online).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  California and Utah to Sonora and Baja California, Mexico (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 535).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 535) "Introduced as cattle fodder, now naturalized". Voucher cited: Forbes s.n. (BISH)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	introduced invasive	Randall, R. P. (2007) (p. 61)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Arizona, Nevada, Utah

Control:  If you know of control methods for Atriplex lentiformis, please let us know.