n = 9, 9 bivalents

Erect to decumbent. densely branched. succulent, leafy, monoecious, annual herb, forming circular mounds within sand 0.8-1.2 m diam. Branches 10-50 mm long, succulent, creamy yellow, rooting at nodes; exposed surfaces coated with deciduous, watery, spherical, glistening papillae. Cotyledons 2 4 × 3 4 mm, succulent, pale yellow, margins entire. Leaves without discernible juvenile phase (2-)6(- 12) × ( 1-)3(-6) mm, oblong- obovate, ovate, elliptic, or lanceolate, green to glaucous-green, succulent. Petioles short, 0.2- 0.5 mm. Leaf surface glabrous, sparsely to densely covered in deciduous watery, spherical, glistening papillae; apex and base obtuse; margin distinctly irregular-dentate. Male flowers axillary, in clusters of 2-4, rarely single; occasionally with rudimentary stigma; perianth lobes 5, green or pale-cream, 0.8- 1 mm long, elliptic-oblong, apex inflexed, cucullate, margins f crenate, abaxial surface densely covered in watery papillae; stamens 5, filaments 0.6 mm long, white, anthers 0.2 mm long, oblong, apicifixed; pollen sulphur yellow. Female flowers minute, (0.8-)1(-1.2) mm, shortly stipitate, borne in leaf axils, either solitary, or in pairs, usually accompanied by a short shoot with one pair of reduced leaves. Peduncles minute, 0.15 mm long. Perianth absent; bracteoles, fused for ± ½ their length, lips triangular obtuse, 0.4 mm, laciniate, fimbriate or entire; external bracteole surfaces entirely covered in watery, spherical, glistening, papillae 0.15-0.19 mm diam.; styles 2 not at all connate, stigmas 2, 0.7- 1 mm, white, upper half exserted, tapering-terete, 0.1-0.2 mm diam., exserted portion with antrorse papillae. Ovary flattened at right angles to lips. 0.4 mm diam., sessile or almost so. Fruiting bracteoles (2.8-)3.3(4) × (1.5-)2(-2.3) mm, straw- yellow, subsessile or shortly stipitate; urceolate, valves weakly fused for ½ of their length, somewhat swollen toWard base, distinctly chartaceous, frequently torn or frayed so as to expose seed, with an entire margin, apex fimbriate or entire, outer surface densely coated in watery papillae 0.2- 0.3 mm diam. Seed circular in outline, convex, (0.9-) 1.5(-2) mm diam., testa at first chestnut- brown, maturing to purple-brown, and fading to black with age, surface matt, ± smooth. finely pitted or rugose; radicle lateral. erect. FL Oct-Apr: FT Nov-May.

Differt Atriplex billurdierei Staturae parviore, habito suberecto ramosissimo, foliis parvioribus irregulater sinuatis-dentatis, bracteolis chartaceis parvioribus, semine parvioribus.