Bakersfield smallscale facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bakersfield smallscale
Scientific classification
Genus:	Atriplex
Species:	tularensis

The Atriplex tularensis is a very rare plant. People also call it the Bakersfield smallscale, Tulare saltbush, or Tulare orach. It is a type of saltbush.

Where Does the Tulare Saltbush Live?

The Tulare saltbush is only found in Kern County, California. It grows in a place called Kern Lake. This lake bed often dries up. It is just north of where Interstate 5 and Highway 99 meet.

Scientists are not sure if this plant still exists. The few plants found there might be a different type of saltbush called Atriplex serenana. So, it is possible that the Atriplex tularensis is now extinct.

This plant likes to grow in alkali soils. These are salty soils in areas that sometimes flood. A lot of land in the San Joaquin Valley was changed for farming. This made the underground water levels go down. Because of this, it became too dry for many plants, including this saltbush, to grow new plants. The small lake bed where this plant might still live used to be looked after by The Nature Conservancy. But now, it is owned by someone else.

What Does the Tulare Saltbush Look Like?

The Atriplex tularensis is a plant that lives for one year. It grows straight up to 80 centimeters tall. That's about 31 inches. It can be reddish-green or grayish.

Its leaves are up to 3 centimeters long, which is about 1 inch. They are shaped like an oval or a spear. The leaves and stems are covered in tiny white scales and feel tough.

The plant has small male and female flowers. They grow in hard bunches. The female flowers make fruit. They have special leaf-like parts called bracts. These bracts end in a sharp point. This sharp point helps tell it apart from a similar plant called Atriplex cordulata.

The state of California says the Atriplex tularensis is an endangered species. This means it is at risk of disappearing forever. However, the United States government does not list it as endangered.