San Joaquin saltbush facts for kids

Extriplex joaquinana is a plant species often called the San Joaquin saltbush. It used to be part of a different group of plants called Atriplex.

Where Does it Grow?

This plant is found only in California. It likes to grow in special soils that are salty, called alkaline soils. You can find it in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. It also grows in nearby areas like the Central Valley and the eastern Central Coast Ranges.

What Does it Look Like?

The San Joaquin saltbush is an annual plant. This means it grows from a seed, flowers, makes new seeds, and then dies all in one year. It can grow straight up to about one meter tall.

Its leaves are usually 1 to 7 centimeters long. They often have a scaly feel and can be green or gray-green. The leaves are shaped like ovals or triangles. Most of the bigger leaves are found lower down on the plant's stem. The leaves higher up are usually smaller.

The plant has different types of flowers. The male flowers grow in thick, heavy spikes. The female flowers are found in smaller groups.

How Scientists Name Plants

Scientists give plants special names to help identify them. The San Joaquin saltbush was first described in 1904 by a scientist named Aven Nelson. He named it Atriplex joaquinana.

Later, in 2010, another scientist named Elizabeth H. Zacharias studied the plant more closely. She used special research methods to understand how plants are related. Because of her work, this plant was moved into a new group, or genus, called Extriplex. So, its full scientific name became Extriplex joaquinana.

This plant belongs to a larger plant family called Amaranthaceae. Within that family, it's part of a group called Chenopodioideae.