Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!
WILD LOBAU
AMARANTH FAMILY

THE AMARANTH FAMILY (Amaranthaceae)

Amaranthaceae is a family of flowering plants are the Amaranth family, contains about 160 genera and 2,400 species. Most of these species are herbs or subshrubs; very few are trees or climbers. This is a widespread and cosmopolitan family found mostly in subtropical and tropical regions, although many species belong in cool temperate regions.

Some species, such as spinach (Spinacia oleracea) or forms of beet (Beta vulgaris) (beetroot, chard), are used as vegetables, others as fodder beet (Mangelwurzel) and sugar beet. The seeds of Amaranthus, Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) and Kañiwa (Chenopodium pallidicaule) are edible and used as pseudocereals. Several species are used as a source of soda ash (used in glass production). Others are popular garden ornamental plants, though some are considered weeds and many may cause pollen allergies.

The leaves are mostly alternate, sometimes opposite. Their shape is extremely variable, with entire or toothed margins. In some species, the leaves are reduced to minute scales. The flowers are solitary or aggregated in clusters or spikes, typically bisexual and radially symmetrical. Flowers usually have 5 (rarely less or up to 8) tepals, often joined. Many species tend to have small insignigicant flowers, often greenish, brownish or very much reduced, though the whole cluster may be clearly noticeable.

(source: Wikipedia)

Click on a thumbnail photo to go to full photo and description.

Spear Saltbush in Lobau
Lobau Location
QUICK KEY

Leaf Types (Simplified)

Icon
Shape
Veins
Simple parallel leaf-vein diagram
Simple
Parallel
Simple pinnate leaf-vein diagram
Simple
Pinnate
Lobed pinnate leaf-vein diagram
Lobed
Pinnate
Compound pinnate leaf-vein diagram
Compound
Pinnate
Trifoliate3-pinnate leaf-vein diagram
Trifoliate
3-Pinnate
Simple palmate leaf-vein diagram
Simple
Palmate
Lobed palmate leaf-vein diagram
Lobed
Palmate
Compound palmate leaf-vein diagram
Compound
Palmate
Other and various leaf-vein arrangments diagram
Other
Various

Flower Types (Simplified)

Icon
Symmetry
Petals
Radial symmetry and 3 petals flower type diagram
Radial
3 or multiple 3s
Radial symmetry and 4 petals flower type diagram
Radial
4
Radial symmetry and 5 separate petals flower type diagram
Radial
5, Separate
Radial symmetry and 5 tubular petals flower type diagram
Radial
5, Tubular
Radial symmetry and 5 tubular base flower type diagram
Radial
5,Tubular base
Radial symmetry and 5 bell-shape petals flower type diagram
Radial
5, Bell shape
Bilateral symmetry and 5 separate petals flower type diagram
Bilateral
5, Separate
Bilateral symmetry and 5 lipped petals flower type diagram
Bilateral
5, Lipped
Bilateral symmetry and winged petals flower type diagram
Bilateral
Butterfly form
Bilateral symmetry and tubular flower type diagram
Bilateral
Tubular
Spurred flower type diagram
.
Spurred
Stellate composite flower type diagram
Stellate
Composite
Structured clusters flower type diagram
Structured Clusters
5, small
Anomalous flower type diagram
Anomalous
.
Inconspicuous flower type diagram
Inconspicuous
.

Inflorescence Types (Simplified)

Icon
Type
Capitulum
Umbel flower head inflorescence type diagram
Umbel
Spike-like flower head inflorescence type diagram
Spike-like
Branched flower head inflorescence type diagram
Branched
Whorled flower head inflorescence type diagram
Whorled
Clustered flower head inflorescence type diagram
Clustered
Single

Spear Saltbush
 in Lobau

© 2013 Margaret Eros

LEAF TYPE
PETAL TYPE
INFLORES- CENCE TYPE
HEIGHT OF PLANT
FLOWERING MONTH
HABITAT
PHOTO LOCATION
  • diagram of 
<!--Next: FOR BLIND LEAF SHAPE ICON.-->
simple 
<!--Next brown section: FOR BLIND LEAF VEIN ICON.-->
 leaf shape and 
pinnate 
vein structure
    • diagram of 
<!--Next: FOR BLIND POPUP LEAF SHAPE.-->
simple 
leaf shape 
<!--Next: FOR BLIND POPUP LEAF VEIN ICON.-->
and
pinnate 
vein structure
    • LEAF TYPE
    • Shape:
    • --simple (undivided/entire).
    • Veins:
    • --pinnate (main central vein with side branches).
    • This plant:
    • Lower leaves three-toothed, wedge-shaped at base, upper ones narrow, lanceolate (heterophylly – different leaf shapes on same plant).
  • 
Inconspicuous symmetry and petals
 flower type diagram
    • 
Inconspicuous symmetry and petals
 flower type diagram
    • FLOWER TYPE
    • Symmetry:
    • --inconspicuous (flowers are tiny, maybe untypical in colour, impossible to detect structure patterns with naked eye)
    • Petals:
    • This plant:
    • Male and female flowers separate, both greenish coloured, no distinctive petals.
  • 
<!--Next: FOR BLIND INFLORESENCE ICON. -->
Spike-like 
inflorescence diagram
    • 
Spike-like 
inflorescence diagram
    • INFLORESCENCE TYPE
    • Spike-like
    • --flowers concentrated at the ends of each stem in an elongated fashion, either erect or drooping.
    • This plant:
    • Tall, bushy plant, many side branches with clusters of male and female flowers at tips and in axils of leaves. (Name of family in German: Fox-tail family).
  • 10 to 150 cm
  • Jul Aug Sep Oct
  • Fields

    wayside

    • For more information, go to the “Habitats & such” tab in the menu bar.
  • diagram of photo location in the Lobau
    • diagram of photo location in the Lobau
Spear Saltbush
Atriplex patula
Other common name(s): Common Orache
German name(s): Spreizende Melde, Ruten-Melde, Mistmilten
ITIS Serial #: 20509
Date:
25 August, 2013

This is a ‘ruderal’ species, a pioneer plant, amongst the first to re-colonise areas of disturbed and denuded ground. It is annual, dying at the end of the season to over-winter in the form of seeds.

Lower leaves are larger, wedge-shaped at the base with toothed margins and often 3 distinct lobes. Upper leaves are smaller and narrow.

The plant has a bushy form of growth with many upward-reaching branches, the tips of which are laden with irregular clusters of tiny inconspicuous and separate-sexed flowers. Male flowers are more visible during flowering on account of their yellow stamens. Female flowers produce tiny, dark brown seeds that can easily survive soil disturbance.

.

.

.

.

  • !?!
    • 
Spear Saltbush is a valuable food plant for certain species of butterfly larvae
    • These plants are edible, though not particularly tasty, but they are extremely valuable as food plants for various species of butterfly larvae (caterpillars).
  • !D!
    • 
Salt Spearbush, detail of male flowers
    • Detail showing inconspicuous male flower cluster with stamens at tip of branch, female flowers lower down branch in leaf axils.
  • !W!
    • 
Swallowtail butterfly with ‘did you know’
    • view of whole plant showing bushy, branching nature and tiny inconspicuous flowers in spikes at tips of all the branches (‘bushy tail’ effect).