Mallee saltbush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mallee saltbush |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Atriplex
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| Species: |
stipitata
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| Synonyms | |
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Atriplex stipitata, known as mallee saltbush and kidney saltbush, is a species of shrub in the family Amaranthaceae, found in all mainland states of Australia.
In South Australia, it flowers all year round. It is not considered a threatened species.
Description
Atriplex stipitata is an erect, generally dioecious, shrub which grows to a metre in height. Its leaves are elliptic and entire, with the apices either obtuse or rounded. The leaf blade is 7 to 25 mm long on a petiole which is 2 to 3 mm long. Male flowers form disjunct spikes, and the well-spaced clusters of female flowers form slender spikes. Bracteoles surround a superior ovary, on a slender stipe which is up to 1 cm long.
Taxonomy and naming
George Bentham first described A. stipitata in 1870. The specific epithet, stipitata, is a Latin adjective (past participle) meaning "stemmed", that is, "having a stipe or a stem", and refers to the stemmed fruit.
Images for kids
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Kidney shaped fruits distinctive to Atriplex stipitata
