California saltbush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids California saltbush |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Extriplex
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| Species: |
californica
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| Synonyms | |
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Atriplex californica Moq. |
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Extriplex californica is a special plant often called the California saltbush or California orache. It used to be known as Atriplex californica. This plant grows naturally along the coasts of California and Baja California. You can find it in places with salty soil, like beaches and salt marshes.
Contents
What Does the California Saltbush Look Like?
The California saltbush (Extriplex californica) is a plant that lives for many years. It grows from a thick, fleshy base called a caudex and a deep main root, a taproot. Many stems spread out from the base. They can reach up to 80 centimeters (about 32 inches) wide. The plant usually grows about 30 centimeters (12 inches) tall.
Its leaves are a scaly gray-green color. They are shaped like a spear or an oval and are usually less than 3 centimeters (about 1 inch) long.
Flowers of the Saltbush
This plant can have different types of flowers. Some plants have both male and female flowers on them. Other plants might only have male flowers or only female flowers. Both types of flowers grow in rough clusters. These tiny flower clusters are called inflorescences.
How Did the California Saltbush Get Its Name?
The California saltbush was first described in 1849 by a scientist named Alfred Moquin-Tandon. He gave it the name Atriplex californica. Later, in 2010, another scientist named Elizabeth H. Zacharias studied the plant more closely. She used phylogenetic research, which looks at how living things are related through their history.
Based on her research, Elizabeth Zacharias decided that this plant was different enough to be in its own new group, or genus. So, she moved it to a new genus called Extriplex. That is why its full scientific name is now Extriplex californica.
Where Does This Plant Fit in the Plant Family Tree?
The California saltbush belongs to a larger group of plants called the Amaranthaceae family. Within this family, it is part of a smaller group called the Chenopodioideae subfamily. Even more specifically, it is in the Atripliceae tribe.
See also
In Spanish: Atriplex californica para niños
