Atriplex canescens [Four-wing Saltbush]

[Andrea B.]

Blum, A.G. (2022) Atriplex canescens (Pursh) Nutt. (Amaranthaceae) Four-wing Saltbush. Plant material photographed in ultraviolet and visible light. LINK

 

La Secuela, El Dorado at Santa Fe, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

21 September 2021

Wild Shrub

 

Synonyms:

• Obione berlandieri
• Obione canescens
• Pterochiton occidentale

 

Other Common Names:

• Saltbush

 

Comment:

Saltbush was formerly in the family Chenopodiaceae (Goosefoot Family)

recently moved from the Goosefoot family, Chenopodiaceae, to the Amaranth family, Amaranthaceae.

It is a dioecious plant with very small yellow male flowers on one plant and tiny female flowers having no perianth on another plant. Seeds are enclosed by the 4-winged bracts which give the plant its common name. It is those 4-winged seed bracts which are seen on a female plant in my photographs. 

The first time I encountered this plant, I was not sure what I was photographing, flowers? seeds? Now I know to revisit it next season to capture its flowers. Reference #2 below has good photos of the flowers.

 

References:

1. SEINet Arizona-New Mexico Chapter (acc nn MMM 2021) Atriplex canescens.

This is a southwestern biodiversity organization making use of the Symbiota portal software.

2. Southwest Colorado Wildflowers (acc nn MMM 2021) Atriplex.

Website published and maintained by Al Schneider and hosted by Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory.

3. Allred, Kelly W., Jercinovic, Eugene M., Ivey, Robert DeWitt (2021) Flora Neomexicana III: An Illustrated Identification Manual, Second Edition, Part 2, Atriplex Key, page 27. Print on demand at lulu.com.

4. Carter, Carter, Stevens & Bousselot (2018) Common Southwestern Native Plants, 3rd Ed., Four-wing Saltbush, pg. 10. Colorado Native Plant Society, Fort Collins.

 

 

Equipment [Panasonic S1R + some lens]

 

 

Visible Light [f/11 for 1/1.6" @ ISO-400 under Skylight with Baader UVIR-Block Filter + BG38 x 2.00mm]

Some of the 4-winged bracts have begun to dry out a bit and turn yellow. The bracts remain on the plant for a long time, well into winter.

 

 

 

Ultraviolet Light [f/11 for 20" @ ISO-400 with SB-140 UV-Flash and BaaderU UV-Pass Filter]

^{3 flashes were made during the 20 second interval.}

The seed bracts photograph in UV much like the narrow leaves. The false green has been pushed in this photograph because I thought it rather pretty.

 

 

[colinbm]

Nice photos Andrea.
Is the bush salty or just a rough texture ?

[Bill De Jager]

Nice work, Andrea.  I'm pretty sure I've seen this plant in bloom without knowing what it was at the time.

 

Colin, the various species of saltbush tend to live in low-lying areas in arid lands where salt may accumulate to a greater or lesser degree.  I don't know if that translates to elevated salt content in the plant's tissues, but I expect Andrea will chime in with her experience and knowledge.

 

I'm really hoping to get out to the desert in the next month or two for a real desert trip which I haven't done in some years now.  I've only briefly entered the edge of the desert on mountain trips in recent years.

[Andrea B.]

Yes, the saltbush is as Bill described. It thrives in dry, saline soils. I did look up soil salinity to review that the salts being referred to were not necessarily just sodium (Na). Other minerals known generically as "salts": magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and others. 

 

And yes the leaves which are used in Native American medicines and foods do have a salty, herbal taste. I got that from my reference 4 above. I haven't tasted the leaves myself!

---

 

 

Bill, the desert wildflower thing is already beginning. I've made most of my long desert trips beginning in February. Here is one link which helps to find which areas are blooming.

Desert USA: https://www.desertusa.com/wildflo/wildupdates.html

[Bill De Jager]

Thanks for the link, Andrea.  I wasn't even thinking about flowers but that's a good point. 

 

In the desert portions of California and also through most of the Southwest it's been a dry fall and winter after the summer monsoon season ended.  One exception is in northern Inyo County and eastern Mono County, California which I'll keep an eye on.  Another possibility is the vicinity of Las Vegas and off to its northeast. 

 

Here's a resource for looking at recent weather and climate anomalies in the western U.S.: Western Regional Climate Center Anomaly Page.  Look for the "precipitation percent of average" links.  For our purposes here this is more of a seasonal planning tool than anything else and is trumped by field reports of current conditions.

 

At least in the California desert the really good wildflower years require good fall rains and good spring rains.  Historically March was the season for seeing wildflowers on the floor of Death Valley in good years, while areas somewhat higher up (Antelope Valley, for instance) might have a peak in early April.  Then the bloom would progress up to even higher elevations. Now flowers are blooming earlier thanks to warmer temperatures so we'll see. 

 

My biggest concern is waiting until the current Omicron COVID wave dies down and that will probably take at least a few more weeks.  Weekly rates of new cases are still far, far above the average level since the beginning of the pandemic.