Wheelscale saltbush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wheelscale saltbush |
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Atriplex
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| Species: |
elegans
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Atriplex elegans, also called wheelscale saltbush, is a type of plant known as a saltbush. People also call it Mecca orach or just wheelscale. This plant is special because it can grow in places where the soil has a lot of salt or is very alkaline.
Contents
What Is Wheelscale Saltbush?
Wheelscale saltbush is an annual plant. This means it completes its whole life cycle in just one year. It grows from a seed, produces flowers and new seeds, and then dies, all within a single growing season.
How It Looks
This plant has a stem that branches out and can grow from about 10 to 50 centimeters tall. That's like the height of a small ruler to half a meter. The stem often looks a bit scaly.
Its leaves are narrow and shaped like an oval. They are usually less than 3 centimeters long. The leaves often have a whitish, crusty look. Sometimes, their edges might have small teeth.
Flowers and Seeds
The flowers of the wheelscale saltbush grow in small, hard groups. What's interesting is that this plant has separate male and female flowers. Both types of flowers are found on the same plant. After the flowers bloom, they produce seeds, which will grow into new plants the next year.
Where Does It Grow?
Wheelscale saltbush is native to the Southwestern United States and the northern parts of Mexico. It loves to grow in areas with special soil conditions.
Favorite Habitats
You can often find this plant in places where the soil is very salty or alkaline. These areas include alkali flats, which are flat lands with a lot of salt. It also grows in dry lakebeds in the desert. These are places where lakes used to be, but now they are dry and often have salty soil. The plant is well-suited to these tough environments.
