''Atriplex hortensis'', known as garden orache, red orache or simply orache (; also spelled orach), mountain spinach, French spinach, or arrach, is a species of plant in the amaranth family used as a leaf vegetable that was common before

spinach Spinach (''Spinacia oleracea'') is a leafy green flowering plant native to Central Asia, Central and Western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common vegetable consumed eit ...

and still grown as a warm-weather alternative to that crop. For many years, it was classified in the goosefoot family, but it has now been absorbed into the Amaranthaceae. It is

Eurasia Eurasia ( , ) is a continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. According to some geographers, Physical geography, physiographically, Eurasia is a single supercontinent. The concept of Europe and Asia as distinct continents d ...

n, native to Asia and Europe, and widely naturalized in Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.

History

Originally from Asia, the orach is widespread throughout Europe. It has been widely naturalized in Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.

Description

''Atriplex hortensis'' is a hardy

annual plant An annual plant is a plant that completes its life cycle, from germination to the production of seeds, within one growing season, and then dies. Globally, 6% of all plant species and 15% of herbaceous plants (excluding trees and shrubs) are ...

, with an erect, branching stem. It varies in height from two to six feet, according to the variety and soil. The

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

are variously shaped, but somewhat oblong, comparatively thin, and slightly acidic to the taste. There are varieties with red, white and green leaves. The

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

s are small and obscure, greenish or reddish, corresponding to a degree with the color of the foliage of the plant. They can be male, female or

hermaphrodite A hermaphrodite () is a sexually reproducing organism that produces both male and female gametes. Animal species in which individuals are either male or female are gonochoric, which is the opposite of hermaphroditic. The individuals of many ...

. The fruits are often overhanging because of their weight. The

seed In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be Sowing, sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds ...

s retain their viability for three years. The yellow-brown seeds with a diameter of 3 to 4 millimeters and a more translucent seed shell are immediately germable. The black seeds with a diameter of only 1.5 to 2 millimeters and smooth, thick, leathery seed shell germinate only after two years. The pollination is carried out by self-pollination, wind pollination, or insects.

Use and cultivation

''Atriplex hortensis'' has a salty,

-like taste. The leaves are used cooked or raw in

salad A salad is a dish consisting of mixed ingredients, frequently vegetables. They are typically served chilled or at room temperature, though some can be served warm. Condiments called '' salad dressings'', which exist in a variety of flavors, a ...

s. The green leaves were once used to color

pasta Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an Leavening agent, unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or Eggs as food, eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Pasta was originally on ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. A common use of the plant is to balance out the acidic flavor of

sorrel Sorrel (''Rumex acetosa''), also called common sorrel or garden sorrel, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Polygonaceae. Other names for sorrel include spinach dock and narrow-leaved dock ("dock" being a common name for the genus ''Ru ...

. It was commonly grown in Mediterranean regions from early times, until spinach became the more favored leaf vegetable. It is commonly grown as a warm-weather alternative to spinach because it is more tolerant of heat and slower to bolt in warm weather.Cornell University Gardening Growing Guide
/ref>

Gallery

File:Atriplexhortensis1.jpg, alt=red mountain spinach, ''Atriplex hortensis'' var. ''rubra'' File:Neuchâtel Herbarium - Atriplex hortensis - NEU000004323.jpg, alt=pressed specimen of mountain spinach, Dried, pressed specimen from the University of Neuchâtel File:Atriplex hortensis sl20.jpg, alt=red flower of mountain spinach, Inflorescence with predominantly male flowers

References

{{Authority control hortensis Flora of Asia Leaf vegetables Flora of Europe Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus