Plants of
South Australia
Atriplex stipitata
Amaranthaceae
Kidney Saltbush,
Bitter Saltbush
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Regional Species Conservation Assessments per IBRA subregion.
Least concern
Near threatened
Rare
Vulnerable
Endangered
Critically endangered
Extinct
Data deficient
Adelaide
Arkaroola
Ceduna
Coober Pedy
Hawker
Innamincka
Marla
Marree
Mount Gambier
Oodnadatta
Renmark
Wudinna
Keith
Yunta
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Botanical art

Kath Alcock paintings: 6

Common names

Kidney Saltbush

Bitter Saltbush

Etymology

Atriplex from the Latin 'atriplexum' meaning an orach, a saltbush, an Ancient Latin name for this plant. Stipitata from the Latin 'stipatatus' meaning stalked; referring to the long stipe-like base on the fruit.

Distribution and status

Grows in mallee and woodland in drier parts of South Australia, north of the Murray River. Also found in all mainland states. Native. Common in South Australia. Common in other states.
Herbarium regions: North Western, Lake Eyre, Nullarbor, Gairdner-Torrens, Flinders Ranges, Eastern, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)

Plant description

Erect shrub to 1 m high. Leaves bitter tasting, narrow-elliptic to orbicular, to 20 mm long with a scaly sheen on both surfaces. Male and female flowers on same plant. Inflorescence a spike with male flowers and females also forming panicles in the leaf axils. Flowering occurs all year, depending on rainfall. Fruits are pale-brown flat, papery fruit to 22 mm long with a long stipe-like base, the upper part of the bracteoles flat, spreading, with recurved lobes,  to 10 mm wide. Seeds are pale brown, reniform to 2 mm long and 1.5 mm wide. Seed embryo type is peripheral.

Seed collection and propagation

Collect seeds between January and December. Collect fruits that are starting to turn pale-brown, drying off and papery. Fruits can be collected directly from the bush or from the ground underneath Place the fruits in a tray and leave to dry for one to two weeks. No cleaning is required if only the fruits are collected. The seed can be stored in the fruit or can be clean further. Rub the fruit gently by hand to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to separate the unwanted material. Store the seeds with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place. Seed viability is usually high.

Seeds stored:
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LocationNo. of seeds
(weight grams)		Number
of plants		Date
collected		Collection number
Collection location		Date
stored		% ViabilityStorage
temperature
BGA 
MSB		2,800 (2.29 g)
2,800 (2.29 g)		3-Apr-2007RJB71353
Eastern		1-Aug-200795%-18°C
Location: BGA — the seeds are stored at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, MSB — the seeds are stored at the Millennium Seed Bank, Kew, England.
Number of plants: This is the number of plants from which the seeds were collected.
Collection location: The Herbarium of South Australia's region name.
% Viability: Percentage of filled healthy seeds determined by a cut test or x-ray.
Germination table:
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We acknowledge the contributions of the South Australian Seed Conservation Centre, the Botanic Gardens of South Australia, and the Department for Environment and Water.