Atriplex elegans

Atriplex elegans
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Core eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Amaranthaceae
Subfamily: Chenopodioideae
Genus: Atriplex
Species: A. elegans
Binomial name
Atriplex elegans
(Moq.) D.Dietr.
Synonyms
  • Obione elegans Moq.

Atriplex elegans is a species of saltbush known by the common name wheelscale saltbush, Mecca orach,[1]:270 or wheelscale.[1]:270 It is native to the Southwestern United States, and northern Mexico, where it grows in areas of saline or alkaline soils, such as alkali flats and desert dry lakebeds.

Description

This is an annual herb with a scaly branching stem which spreads somewhat upright to heights between 10 and 50 centimeters. The crusty whitish leaves are narrowly oval in shape, sometimes toothed along the edges, and less than 3 centimeters long. The inflorescences bear separate male and female flowers which are in small, hard clusters.

References

  1. 1 2 Mojave Desert Wildflowers, Pam MacKay, 2nd ed., 2013, ISBN 978-0-7627-8033-4

External links


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, May 16, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.