| Atriplex hortensis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Core eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Amaranthaceae |
| Subfamily: | Chenopodioideae |
| Genus: | Atriplex |
| Species: | A. hortensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Atriplex hortensis[1], L. |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Atriplex acuminata |
|
Atriplex hortensis, also known as Garden Orache, Red Orach, Mountain Spinach, French Spinach, or simply "orache" or arrach, is a hardy, annual plant, with an erect, branching stem, varying in height from two to six feet, according to the variety and soil. The leaves are variously shaped, but somewhat oblong, comparatively thin in texture, and slightly acid to the taste, the flowers are small and obscure, greenish or reddish, corresponding in a degree with the color of the foliage of the plant; the seeds are small, black, and surrounded with a thin, pale-yellow membrane. They retain their vitality for three years.[2]