Atriplex gardneri var. bonnevillensis

(C. A. Hanson) S. L. Welsh

Great Basin Naturalist 44: 190. 1984.

Common names: Bonneville saltbush
EndemicConservation concern
Basionym: Atriplex bonnevillensis C. A. Hanson Stud. Syst. Bot. 1: 2. 1962
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 374. Mentioned on page 372, 379.

Subshrubs or shrubs, dioecious or sparingly monoecious, mainly 2–8 dm, as wide or wider. Stems ascending. Leaves tardily deciduous, alternate, sessile or subsessile; blade linear to oblanceolate or obovate-spatulate, 7–40 × 2–9 mm, 2–9 times longer than wide. Staminate flowers tan to brown or rarely yellow, in glomerules 2–3 mm thick, in terminal or axillary spikes or spicate panicles 1–9 cm. Pistillate flowers in spicate panicles 8–25 cm. Fruiting bracteoles sessile or on stipes to 4 mm, body basically ovoid and bearing 4 lateral wings or rows of flattened tubercles, 5–8 × 3–9 mm, apex acuminate, 1–4 mm, tubercles lanceolate, sometimes vestigial, rarely absent, to 3 mm high. Seeds 1.5 mm wide.


Phenology: Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat: Greasewood and saltbush communities in valley bottoms and playas
Elevation: 1500-1600 m

Discussion

Of conservation concern.

The Bonneville saltbush is apparently a partially stabilized introgressant involving Atriplex gardneri var. falcata and A. canescens. The habitat is intermediate between that occupied by the parental taxa. There is evidence that the introgression is continuing in some populations at least. The plants are herein placed within A. gardneri, with which they are most similar morphologically.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
Stanley L. Welsh +
(C. A. Hanson) S. L. Welsh +
Atriplex bonnevillensis +
Bonneville saltbush +
Nev. +  and Utah. +
1500-1600 m +
Greasewood and saltbush communities in valley bottoms and playas +
Flowering summer–fall. +
Great Basin Naturalist +
Endemic +  and Conservation concern +
Atriplex nuttallii subsp. gardneri +  and Atriplex nuttallii var. gardneri +
Atriplex gardneri var. bonnevillensis +
Atriplex gardneri +
variety +