Atriplex argentea
Silverscale, Silverscale
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Matt Berger · licence
Family: Chenopodiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Atriplex argentea (Silverscale) is a native California herb in the Chenopodiaceae family, recognized by no sympatric species.
Silverscale is a California native annual found in arid regions of western North America in desert and scrub habitats. Flowering from summer to fall, this plant produces small greenish flowers with distinctive gray-scaly herbage that gives it a silvery appearance. Growing 15 to 80 centimeters tall with stout, angled stems that peel and densely branch, it forms a compact and textured plant structure. Its leaves are elliptic to triangular, 7 to 40 millimeters long, with wavy or entire margins and sometimes a slightly arrow-shaped base. The fruit bracts are 4 to 8 millimeters long, deltate to nearly spherical, with green dentate margins and small tubercles.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; no sympatric species
Habitat and range
California counties: San Diego, Yolo, Merced, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Riverside, Tulare, San Bernardino, Orange, Ventura, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, Solano, Kings, Kern, Mono, Modoc, Inyo, Fresno, Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, San Luis Obispo
How to tell it apart
vs Artemisia: Atriplex leaves have bead-like scales; Artemisia leaves are finely divided and aromatic when crushed.; vs Ambrosia: Atriplex has simple scaly leaves; Ambrosia has deeply lobed or divided leaves with coarse hairs.; vs Extriplex: Atriplex has 3-5 calyx lobes on male flowers and two seed colors; Extriplex has exactly 4 lobes and uniform dark seeds.; vs Chenopodium: Atriplex has bead-like bladder hairs and paired fruit bracts; Chenopodium has mealy powder and calyx-enclosed fruits.; vs Eriogonum: Atriplex has scaly leaves and paired fruit bracts; Eriogonum has smooth leaves and papery flower tubes.
Frequently asked questions
Is Atriplex argentea native to California?
Yes. Atriplex argentea is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Atriplex argentea grow?
Atriplex argentea occurs in San Diego, Yolo, Merced, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Riverside, Tulare, San Bernardino and other counties.
What plant family does Atriplex argentea belong to?
Atriplex argentea is in the Chenopodiaceae family, genus Atriplex.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Atriplex argentea var. argentea — Silverscale saltbush
- Atriplex argentea var. expansa — Mojave silverscale
- Atriplex argentea var. hillmanii — Hillman's silverscale
- Atriplex argentea var. longitrichoma — Pahrump orach
- Atriplex canescens — Four-wing saltbush
- Atriplex canescens var. canescens — Fourwing saltbush
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.