Atriplex are C-plants, with a characteristic leaf anatomy (kranz anatomy). The genus "Atriplex" is distributed nearly worldwide from subtropical to temperate and to subarctic regions. Most species-rich are Australia, North America, South America and Eurasia. Many species are halophytes and are adapted to dry environments with salty soils. The genus evolved in Middle Miocene, the C-photosynthesis pathway developed about 14.1-10.9 million years ago, when the climate became increasingly dry. The genus diversified rapidly and spread over the continents. The C"Atriplex" colonized North America probably from Eurasia during the Middle/Late Miocene, about 9.8-8.8 million years ago, and later spread to South America.
Insectivorous Plants (book) first edition had a reported printing of 3,000 copies. It was translated into several languages during Darwin's lifetime, including German. A second English-language edition was published in 1889 after Darwin's death. It was edited with additions and footnotes by Francis Darwin. From his initial observations in 1860 of "Drosera rotundifolia", the common sundew, Darwin developed a series of experiments ultimately establishing how "excellently adapted" these plants are to catching insects (p. 3). Darwin knew that these plants flourish in nitrogen-limited environments, growing in bogs, poor peaty soil and moss (p. 18). Most plants receive nutrients from the soil by their