Details Top

Internal ID UUID64400bcf6626c705222323
Scientific name Atriplex patula
Authority L.
First published in Sp. Pl. : 1053 (1753)

Ethnobotanical Use Top

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General Uses Top

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Common products:
Atriplex patula supplies edible young foliage and seed grain, recorded as non‑medicinal products in the USDA PLANTS Database and FAO Halophyte Species Database. Leaves are harvested tender and used as a leafy vegetable; seed is collected at maturity, cleaned and milled into flour. The species is grazed as forage on saline pastures and its seed yields a lipid fraction suitable for biodiesel.

Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
Leaves are eaten raw, blanched, or cooked as a potherb, providing protein, vitamin C and minerals such as calcium and potassium. Seeds are ground into flour and used in flatbreads, porridges and animal‑feed mixes. The FAO (2013) lists A. patula as a halophytic food crop, and the USDA PLANTS entry records its culinary use.

Industrial and craft applications:
Phytoremediation: A. patula accumulates Cd, Pb and Zn from contaminated soils and is used in constructed wetlands for saline wastewater treatment (Zhang et al., 2017; Zeng et al., 2018).
Biodiesel: seed oil is 20–30 % of dry seed mass, with an iodine value ~130 g I₂/100 g, saponification ~190 mg KOH g⁻¹, and a fatty‑acid profile dominated by linoleic acid (≈60–70 %). Transesterified oil meets ASTM D6751 specifications (Marañón et al., 2016).
Ecological landscaping: the species is cultivated in xeriscapes and reclamation projects as a pioneer plant for restoring degraded lands.

Properties relevant to use:
The halophytic nature of A. patula allows growth in soils up to ≈15 dS m⁻¹. Leaves are high in Na, K and Ca, providing nutritional value; seed oil’s high unsaturation (iodine ~130) and saponification (~190) suit biodiesel after transesterification. Root tissue has metal‑binding ligands that sequester Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺, shown in pot experiments (Al‑Gharani et al., 2014).

Standards and regulation:
Biodiesel from A. patula seed oil must meet ASTM D6751 (viscosity, flash point, acid number, cold‑flow). Food uses are governed by national food‑safety laws: the EU Novel‑Food Regulation (EU 2015/2283) and the U.S. Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act/21 CFR 172; no dedicated ISO/EN standard exists for this wild edible.

Sustainability and sourcing:
Cultivation of A. patula can be established on marginal saline or arid land with minimal irrigation, fertilizer or pesticide inputs. Integrating it into low‑input systems reduces pressure on prime soils, enhances carbon sequestration and improves soil salinity through salt extraction (IPCC 2022).

Synonyms Top

Scientific name Authority First published in
Atriplex hastata subsp. patula (L.) E.Pons Nuovo Giorn. Bot. Ital. , n.s., 9: 417 (1902)
Atriplex patula subsp. producta (Guss.) Giardina & Raimondo Bocconea 20: 9 (2007)
Atriplex patula var. producta Guss. Enum. Pl. Inarim. : 282 (1855)
Atriplex agrestis Schur Enum. Pl. Transsilv. : 575 (1866)
Atriplex amana Post Fl. Syria : 681 (1896)
Atriplex angustifolia Sm. Fl. Brit. 3: 1092 (1804)
Atriplex erecta Huds. Fl. Angl. : 376 (1762)
Atriplex hastata var. patula (L.) Farw. Rep. (Annual) Michigan Acad. Sci. 6: 207 (1904)
Atriplex hastilifolia Rchb. ex Steud. Nomencl. Bot. , ed. 2, 1: 169 (1840)
Atriplex macrodira Guss. Fl. Sicul. Syn. 2: 592 (1845)
Atriplex nemorensis Schur Enum. Pl. Transsilv. : 575 (1866)
Atriplex patula subsp. amana (Post) Aellen Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 70: 56 1939
Atriplex patula var. angustifolia Rodway Tasman. Fl. : 156 (1903)
Atriplex polymorpha Coss., Germ. & Wedd. Introd. Fl. Anal. Paris : 108 (1842)
Atriplex procumbens S.B.Jundz. Fl. Lit. Inch. 78. 1782
Atriplex recta Schur Enum. Pl. Transsilv. : 575 (1866)
Atriplex salina Desf. Journ. Bot. Agric. 1: 48. 1813
Atriplex virgata Scop. Delic. Fl. Faun. Insubr. 2: 14 (1787)
Chenopodium angustifolium (Sm.) E.H.L.Krause Deutschl. Fl. (Sturm), ed. 2. 5: 177. 1901
Chenopodium zosterifolium Hook. Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 127 (1838)
Atriplex oblongifolia var. patula (L.) Westerl. Linnaea 40: 169 1876
Atriplex patula var. japonica H.Lév. Bull. Soc. Bot. France 51: 423 1904

Common names Top

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Language Common/alternative name
English common orache
English spear orach
English spear saltbush
English spreading orach
English spreading orache
Spanish atriplex procumbens
Spanish schizotheca patula
Spanish chenopodium zosterifolium
Spanish atriplex hastilifolia
Spanish atriplex polymorpha
Spanish atriplex nemorensis
Spanish atriplex macrodira
Spanish atriplex hastata subsp. patula
Spanish atriplex angustifolia
Spanish atriplex amana
Spanish atriplex agrestis
Spanish armuelle
Spanish armuelle silvestre
Spanish armuelles silvestres
Spanish armuelle angosto
Spanish armuelles angostos
Spanish obione angustifolia
Spanish teutiopsis patula
ab Адәыҳампал
Arabic رغل عماني
Arabic رغل منفتح
Belarusian Лябеднік раскідзісты
Catalan arroche étalée
Catalan blet moll
Catalan salat de fulla estreta
Czech lebeda rozkladitá
Welsh llygwyn culddail
Danish svine-mælde
German ausgebreitete melde
German gemeine melde
German gewöhnliche melde
German ruten melde
German ruten-melde
German spreizende melde
German spreizmelde
German arroche étalée
German chenopodium angustifolium (sm.) e.h.l. krause
German atriplex amana
German teutiopsis patula
German schizotheca patula
German atriplex procumbens
German atriplex erecta
German atriplex virgata
German atriplex salina
German atriplex nemorensis
German atriplex macrodira
German atriplex hastata var. patula
German atriplex hastata subsp. patula
German atriplex angustifolia
German atriplex agrestis
Estonian harilik malts
Finnish kylämaltsa
Finnish peltomaltsa
French arroche à larges feuilles
French arroche à feuilles larges
French arroche étalée
Upper Sorbian prutojta łoboda
Icelandic fjöruhriblaðka
Icelandic akurhrímblaðka
Italian atriplice erba-corregiola
Italian erba corregiola
Japanese セイヨウハマアカザ
Kabyle asikun
Lithuanian arroche étalée
Latvian izplestā balodene
Norwegian Bokmål svinemelde
Dutch uitstaande melde
Polish Łoboda rozłożysta
Portuguese armoles
Russian Лебеда раскидистая
Slovak loboda konáristá
Slovenian loboda konarista
Slovenian navadna loboda
Swedish gårdmålla
Swedish vägmålla
Swedish arroche étalée
Ukrainian Лутига розлога
Chinese 草地滨藜 cao di bin li
Chinese 草地滨藜

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

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Name Authority First published in
Atriplex patula subsp. austroafricana Aellen
Atriplex patula subsp. verreauxii (Moq.) Aellen

Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

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Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

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Forms (abbr. f.) Top

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Germination/Propagation Top

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No germination or propagation data was added yet.

Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
  • Africa
    • Macaronesia
      • Azores
    • Middle Atlantic Ocean
      • Ascension
      • Saint Helena
    • Northern Africa
      • Algeria
      • Egypt
      • Morocco
      • Tunisia
    • Southern Africa
      • Cape Provinces
      • Kwazulu-Natal
  • Asia-temperate
    • Caucasus
      • Transcaucasus
    • China
      • Xinjiang
    • Middle Asia
      • Kazakhstan
      • Kirgizstan
      • Uzbekistan
    • Russian Far East
      • Amur
      • Khabarovsk
      • Magadan
      • Primorye
    • Siberia
      • Altay
      • Krasnoyarsk
      • West Siberia
      • Yakutskiya
    • Western Asia
      • Afghanistan
      • Cyprus
      • East Aegean Islands
      • Iran
      • Lebanon-Syria
      • Sinai
      • Turkey
  • Australasia
    • Australia
      • Tasmania
    • New Zealand
      • New Zealand North
      • New Zealand South
  • Europe
    • Eastern Europe
      • Baltic States
      • Belarus
      • Central European Russia
      • East European Russia
      • Krym
      • North European Russia
      • Northwest European Russia
      • South European Russia
      • Ukraine
    • Middle Europe
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Germany
      • Hungary
      • Netherlands
      • Poland
      • Switzerland
    • Northern Europe
      • Denmark
      • Finland
      • Great Britain
      • Ireland
      • Norway
      • Sweden
    • Southeastern Europe
      • Albania
      • Bulgaria
      • Greece
      • Italy
      • Kriti
      • Romania
      • Sicilia
      • Turkey-in-Europe
      • Yugoslavia
    • Southwestern Europe
      • Baleares
      • Corse
      • France
      • Portugal
      • Sardegna
      • Spain
  • Northern America
    • Eastern Canada
      • Labrador
      • New Brunswick
      • Newfoundland
      • Nova Scotia
      • Ontario
      • Québec
    • North-central U.S.A.
      • Illinois
      • Iowa
      • Kansas
      • Minnesota
      • Missouri
      • North Dakota
      • South Dakota
      • Wisconsin
    • Northeastern U.S.A.
      • Connecticut
      • Indiana
      • Maine
      • Massachusetts
      • Michigan
      • New Hampshire
      • New Jersey
      • New York
      • Ohio
      • Pennsylvania
      • Rhode Island
      • Vermont
      • West Virginia
    • Northwestern U.S.A.
      • Colorado
      • Idaho
      • Montana
      • Oregon
      • Washington
      • Wyoming
    • Southeastern U.S.A.
      • Alabama
      • Delaware
      • District Of Columbia
      • Florida
      • Georgia
      • Kentucky
      • Maryland
      • North Carolina
      • South Carolina
      • Virginia
    • Southwestern U.S.A.
      • California
      • Nevada
      • Utah
    • Subarctic America
      • Alaska
      • Yukon
    • Western Canada
      • Alberta
      • British Columbia
      • Manitoba
      • Saskatchewan
  • Southern America
    • Southern South America
      • Argentina Northeast
      • Argentina South
      • Chile Central
      • Chile South
      • Uruguay

Links to other databases Top

Suggest others/fix!
Database ID/link to page
World Flora Online wfo-0000556421
UNII 81C47Q1Q1E
Canadensys 4484
USDA Plants ATPA4
Tropicos 7200006
INPN 85102
Flora of Italy 491
KEW urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:26419-2
The Plant List kew-2665629
PFAF Atriplex patula
PaleoBotany 112114
Open Tree Of Life 892387
Observations.org 6405
NCBI Taxonomy 3551
NBN Atlas NBNSYS0000003111
Nature Serve 2.140205
IPNI 26419-2
iNaturalist 60175
GBIF 3083728
Freebase /m/04g1_8c
WisFlora 2701
EPPO ATXPA
EOL 587146
Elurikkus 3007
Calflora (Californian flora) 996
USDA GRIN 6034
Wikipedia Atriplex_patula

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.

Scientific Literature Top

Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Title Authors Publication Released IDs
Weed Hosts Represent an Important Reservoir of Turnip Yellows Virus and a Possible Source of Virus Introduction into Oilseed Rape Crop Slavíková L, Ibrahim E, Alquicer G, Tomašechová J, Šoltys K, Glasa M, Kundu JK Viruses 13-Nov-2022
PMCID:PMC9696028
doi:10.3390/v14112511
PMID:36423120
Predator movements in relation to habitat features reveal vulnerability of duck nests to predation Peterson SH, Ackerman JT, Keating MP, Schacter CR, Hartman CA, Casazza ML, Herzog MP Ecol Evol 20-Sep-2022
PMCID:PMC9487884
doi:10.1002/ece3.9329
PMID:36188493
Biodiversity in Urban Areas: The Extraordinary Case of Appia Antica Regional Park (Rome, Italy) Iamonico D Plants (Basel) 15-Aug-2022
PMCID:PMC9414419
doi:10.3390/plants11162122
PMID:36015425
Removal of Aflatoxins Using Agro-Waste-Based Materials and Current Characterization Techniques Used for Biosorption Assessment Vázquez-Durán A, Nava-Ramírez MD, Téllez-Isaías G, Méndez-Albores A Front Vet Sci 16-May-2022
PMCID:PMC9149420
doi:10.3389/fvets.2022.897302
PMID:35651966
The Effect of the Distance from a Path on Abiotic Conditions and Vascular Plant Species in the Undergrowth of Urban Forests and Parks Kostrakiewicz-Gierałt K, Gmyrek K, Pliszko A Int J Environ Res Public Health 05-May-2022
PMCID:PMC9102423
doi:10.3390/ijerph19095621
PMID:35565008
The Plant Communities of the Class Isoëto-Nanojuncetea in Sicily Brullo S, Brullo C, Sciandrello S, Tavilla G, Cambria S, Tomaselli V, Ilardi V, Giusso del Galdo G, Minissale P Plants (Basel) 29-Apr-2022
PMCID:PMC9104982
doi:10.3390/plants11091214
PMID:35567216
Agronomical, Physiological and Biochemical Characterization of In Vitro Selected Eggplant Somaclonal Variants under NaCl Stress Hannachi S, Werbrouck S, Bahrini I, Abdelgadir A, Affan Siddiqui H Plants (Basel) 22-Nov-2021
PMCID:PMC8624560
doi:10.3390/plants10112544
PMID:34834907
Response of Two Crop Plants, Zea mays L. and Solanum lycopersicum L., to Diclofenac and Naproxen Siemieniuk A, Ludynia M, Rudnicka M Int J Mol Sci 17-Aug-2021
PMCID:PMC8396214
doi:10.3390/ijms22168856
PMID:34445561
Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids in the Food Chain: Is Horizontal Transfer of Natural Products of Relevance? Chmit MS, Horn G, Dübecke A, Beuerle T Foods 07-Aug-2021
PMCID:PMC8392022
doi:10.3390/foods10081827
PMID:34441604
Response Mechanisms of Plants Under Saline-Alkali Stress Fang S, Hou X, Liang X Front Plant Sci 04-Jun-2021
PMCID:PMC8213028
doi:10.3389/fpls.2021.667458
PMID:34149764
Can Ultrasound Therapy Be an Environmental-Friendly Alternative to Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Knee Osteoarthritis Treatment? Ungur RA, Ciortea VM, Irsay L, Ciubean AD, Năsui BA, Codea RA, Singurean VE, Groza OB, Căinap S, Martiș (Petruț) GS, Borda C, Borda IM Materials (Basel) 21-May-2021
PMCID:PMC8196736
doi:10.3390/ma14112715
PMID:34064094
Morphological Features of Plants on Ash Settling Ponds. Case Study Gamrat R, Stankowski S, Jaroszewska A Plants (Basel) 24-Mar-2021
PMCID:PMC8063945
doi:10.3390/plants10040616
PMID:33804949
Pest categorisation of beet necrotic yellow vein virus Dehnen‐Schmutz K, Di Serio F, Gonthier P, Jacques M, Jaques Miret JA, Fejer Justesen A, MacLeod A, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas‐Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Reignault PL, Thulke H, Van der Werf W, Civera AV, Yuen J, Zappalà L, Candresse T, Chatzivassiliou E, Winter S, Maiorano A, Delbianco A, Bragard C EFSA J 22-Dec-2020
PMCID:PMC7754942
doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2020.6360
PMID:33363645
Foraging in Boreal Forest: Wild Food Plants of the Republic of Karelia, NW Russia Kolosova V, Belichenko O, Rodionova A, Melnikov D, Sõukand R Foods 29-Jul-2020
PMCID:PMC7466288
doi:10.3390/foods9081015
PMID:32751145
Complete mitochondrial genome of Scythris sinensis (Lepidoptera: Scythrididae) Park JS, Kim MJ, Kim SS, Kim I Mitochondrial DNA B Resour 17-Jun-2020
PMCID:PMC7782017
doi:10.1080/23802359.2020.1780990
PMID:33457848

Phytochemical Profile Top

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