Atriplex leucoclada
Boiss. & Noe
(c) Ron Frumkin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) Ron Frumkin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) Ron Frumkin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves
The favored species for human consumption is now usually garden orache (A. hortensis), but many species are edible and the use of Atriplex as food is known since at least the late Epipaleolithic (Mesolithic). Common orache (A. patula) is attested as an archaeophyte in northern Europe, and the Ertebølle culture is presumed to have used it as a food. Its seed has been found among apparent evidence of cereal preparation and cooking at Late Iron Age villages in Britain. Grey saltbush (A. cinerea) has been used as bushfood in Australia since prehistoric times. Chamiso (A. canescens) and shadscale (A. confertifolia) were eaten by Native Americans, and spearscale (A. hastata) was a food in rural Eurasia. Studies on Atriplex species demonstrated their potential use in agriculture. Meat from sheep which have grazed on saltbush has surprisingly high levels of vitamin E, is leaner and more hydrated than regular lamb and has consumer appeal equal to grain-fed lamb. The vitamin E levels could have animal health benefits while extending the shelf-life and maintaining the fresh red colour of saltbush lamb. This effect has been demonstrated for old man saltbush (A. nummularia) and river saltbush (A. amnicola). For reasons unknown, sheep seem to prefer the more fibrous, less nutritious river saltbush. A study on A. nummularia discovered the species have a nitrogen content of 2.5–3.5%, and could potentially be used as a protein supplement for grazing if palatable. A subsequent study allowed sheep and goats to voluntarily feed on Atriplex halimus and aimed to determine if the saltbush was palatable, and if so, did it provide enough nutrients to supplement the diet of these animals. In this study they determined when goats and sheep are given as much A. halimus as they like, they do obtain enough nutrients to supplement their diet – unless the animal requirements are higher during pregnancy and milk production. Saltbushes are also used as an ornamental plant in landscaping and can be used to prevent soil erosion in coastal areas. Old man saltbush (Atriplex nummularia) has also been successfully used to rehabilitate old mining sites in Australia.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
It is a Mediterranean plant. It grows in areas that are occasionally water logged. It can grow in salty soils. It can grow in arid places.
Africa, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Caucasus, Central Asia, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Mediterranean, Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Uzbekistan, Yemen,
How to Identify
A shrub. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 30-100 cm tall. The leaves are 8-30 mm long by 2-25 mm wide. They are triangle shaped. The flowers are in clusters near the ends of branches.
Notes
They have also been put in the family Chenopodiaceae.
Names & Synonyms
Rughel
References (4)
- Bidak, L. M., et al, 2015, Goods and services provided by native plants in desert ecosystems: Examples from the northwestern coastal desert of Egypt. Global Ecology and Conservation 3 (2015) 433–447
- Karim, F. M. & Dakheel, A, J., 2006, Salt-tolerant plants of the United Arab Emirates. 2006. International Center for Biosaline Agriculture, Dubai, UAE.
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (1999). Survey of Economic Plants for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (SEPASAL) database. Published on the Internet; http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ceb/sepasal/internet [Accessed 8th April 2011]
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (As Atriplex turcomanica)
