Plants synoecious, monoecious, dioecious, or polygamous. Inflorescence of solitary or cymosely clustered flowers, often aggregated into racemiform, paniculiform, or spike-like clusters. Stamens 1-5, distinct. The young leaves of various members of the family are edible potherbs. Some Atriplex species are cultivated as ornamentals in arid regions.
Various members are agricultural weeds, especially in areas with salty soils.
Eriogonum The family is comprised of 30 genera and 1000 species, most north temperate in distribution. Herbs, shrubs, rarely woody vines or trees. Plants synoecious, rarely monoecious or dioecious. Inflorescence of solitary or clustered axillary flowers, racemiform, paniculiform, or spikelike clusters, involucrate umbels or solitary involucrate flowers. Flowers perfect, rarely imperfect, regular, sometimes subtended by a calyx-like involucre.