Brittlescale

Description

Atriplex depressa is a species of saltbush known by the common names brittlescale and depressed orache. It is sometimes treated as a variety of Atriplex parishii. It is endemic to the Central Valley of California, where it grows in areas with saline and alkaline soils. This is a small annual herb producing low-lying stems up to about 20 centimeters long. It is whitish and scaly and brittle. The scaly white leaves are oval to heart-shaped, pointed, and less than a centimeter long each. The inflorescences hold male or female flowers, which are small, hard clusters of flowers.