Common name:
Spear-leaved orache
Family:
Scientific name:
Atriplex prostrata
Main flower color:
Range:
All lowland areas of the British Isles
Height:
Up to 90 cm
Habitat:
Fields, waste ground, and especially coastal areas, including beach margins and saltmarshes
Flowers:
Green to reddish, in relatively short spikes. Female flowers are subtended by a pair of triangular bracteoles, fused (only) at the base
Fruit:
Achenes enclosed by a pair of residual bracts, which are triangular, mealy-covered, and toothed
Leaves:
Up to 6 cm in length, and triangular in outline, with the lower edge perpendicular to the stalk, and narrow, outwards-pointing lobes at the corners. Often mealy-coated, especially underneath, as are the stems, which tend to be tinged red
Season:
July to September
Rarity:
★★★★★
