Atriplex, oraches, saltbushes |
Triangle orache (Atriplex prostrata)
Valves of the Triangle orache
Also in the Hippocratic writings a wild orache (Adraphaxin) is mentioned. Theophrastus (371-287 B.C.) was the first who describe the garden orache (Atriplex hortensis) very precisely under the name of Atraphaxis.
“Atriplex“ as the name for the orache
appears first time at
Dioscorides
und
Pliny (1st century AD.) and is possibly derived from Atraphaxis. 1753
Linnaeus gave
the name of Atriplex
to the oraches and Atraphaxis
to another genus of the Polygonaceae with bush shaped members.
The
English expression "orache" derives from the
French "arroche", which, in turn, derives from the Late Latin
word "aurago" (aurum = gold, -ago
= similar). Because of the salt
tolerance of some species they are
sometimes called saltbushes.
The world wide represented genus with about 200 species occurs in all climates, but in the tropics they are rather rare. The members are annual to perennial herbs or shrubs and subshrubs. They often have fragile bladderlike hairs, which leave behind a whitish dust on leaves and flowers. The alternating or opposite leaves are oblong to oval, triangular, rhombic or hastate. The margin is serrate, lobed or smooth.
The spike-like, panicle-like or racemose inflorescences are arranged terminal or axillary, the flowers usually form dense glomerules, rarely single flowers occur. The flowers are radiate and usually unisexual. Male flowers usually have 3–5 scale-like tepals that are fused at the base, and 3–5 stamens.
Female flowers usually have no tepals, but they are encased by 2 opposite bracteoles that increase in size after wind pollination and include the fruit in the form of valves. The shape of the bracteoles is an important determining feature. Rarely, the female flowers have 4–5 petals. The superior ovary is grown together out of 2–5 carpels and bears 2 sometimes partially joined styles.
| General floral formula: |
| ♂ * P(3–5) A3–5 G0 ♀ * P0 A0 G(2–5) superior |
Some oraches are salt tolerant and grow along seashores. The captured toxic salt they transport from the leaf tissue in the bladderlike hairs. The bladders increase in size and eventually fall off, if not, they burst, so the salt is washed off by rain.
Historical publications
Dioscorides (1st century AD.) wrote about the sea orache (Atriplex halimus), it was a shrub that grew on seashores and in hedges. The leaves were similar to those of the olive tree. The cooked leaves would be used as a vegetable. Of the garden orache (Atriplex hortensis), which are called Chrysolachanon and by the Romans as Atriplex, there were two different types of them that would be cooked like vegetables.
Pliny (about 23–79 AD.) knew a wild and a tame orache (Atriplex). He wrote, Pythagoras would have said, they would cause dropsy and jaundice and would inhibit other garden plants from growing. After Diocles of Karystos (4th century B.C.) and Cassius Dionysius of Utica (2nd century B.C.) many diseases would be caused by the orache and the cooking water should be changed several times. He also mentioned a physician by the name of Lycos, who recommends oraches as medicinal plants against all manner of induration and ulcers.
Hildegard of Bingen (1098–1179) recommended orache, mixed with hyssop and "Prieselauch", possibly she meant chives, as a pulp eaten against scrofula (inflammation in the facial area). Against the same disease cooked, squeezed and warm leaves of of the orache would help, that are applied on the affected areas.
Leonhart
Fuchs (1501–1566) differentiated
between the "Wild Molten" (Chenopodium
album, lamb's quarters) and the "Zam Molten" (Atriplex hortensis,
garden orache). Boiled oraches would make the stomach soft and the
seeds, if they consumed with honey water, would cure jaundice. Whether
they are raw or cooked, the leaves of the orache would dissolve
induration.
Meaning of the species name
- prostrata: lat. prosternere = to prostrate
Interesting notes
The lamb's quarters (Chenopodium album) occasionally appear en masse as weed in gardens. Mistakenly, it is often referred to as "orache". Orache and lamb's quarters can be distinguished by their flowers: that of orache are unisexual, the lamb's quarters possesses hermaphrodite flowers.
The garden orache (Atriplex hortensis) originally is native to the Mediterranean area. It is usually cultivated not very often, in contrast to the closely related spinach, which is prepared similar.