Lost Hills Saltbush
(Atriplex vallicola )
Chenopodiaceae

Photo Copyright 2004 Robert E. Preston, Ph. D

Description: Annual herb with a few slender, gray-scaley branches, spreading outward from the base. Lower leaves are spear to pear-shaped, 1/4 inch (5-7mm) long. Upper leaves are pear-shaped with a heart-shaped base, 1/8 inch (2-4mm) long. Leaves are sessile (stemless, attached directly to branch). Plant contains male and female small, green flowers, mixed in small clusters. Seeds are dark brown to black 1/16 inch (1.1mm) long. 

Distribution:

Habitat: Dried ponds, rain pools, and flats. Alkaline soils. Elevation 160 - 2032 feet.

Flowering Period: Blooms April - August.

Similar Plants:

Status: BLM Sensitive, California Native Plant Society List 1B