Atriplex canescens var. canescens
Fourwing saltbush
(c) Bobby McCabe, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Bobby McCabe · licence
Family: Chenopodiaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Atriplex canescens var. canescens (Fourwing saltbush) is a native California shrub in the Chenopodiaceae family, recognized by shrub habit and distinctive four-winged fruit bracts.
Fourwing saltbush is a California native shrub found in the eastern Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi, southern coastal regions, northern Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, Great Basin, and desert regions at elevations up to 2,100 meters in clay to gravelly flats and scrublands. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces small, inconspicuous flowers with distinctive papery winged fruits. Growing 80 to 200 centimeters tall with multiple branching stems, it forms a broad, rounded shape characteristic of arid landscapes. Its leaves are linear to oblanceolate, measuring 15 to 50 millimeters long, with a grayish-green coloration that helps the plant blend into dry, sparse environments. The plant's most notable feature is its large, papery fruits with three to six millimeter wide wings that give it the name "fourwing" saltbush.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 44 sympatric species; shrub habit and distinctive four-winged fruit bracts are diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Clay to gravelly flats, slopes, scrub
Elevation: < 2100 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo, Riverside, Los Angeles, Kern, Mono, Imperial, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Lassen, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Orange, Amador
Bloom period
Atriplex canescens var. canescens blooms Jun-Aug.
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 canescens var. canescens native to California?
Yes. Atriplex canescens var. canescens is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Atriplex canescens var. canescens bloom?
Atriplex canescens var. canescens blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Atriplex canescens var. canescens grow?
Atriplex canescens var. canescens occurs in San Bernardino, Inyo, Riverside, Los Angeles, Kern, Mono, Imperial, San Diego and other counties, at elevations of < 2100 m.
What plant family does Atriplex canescens var. canescens belong to?
Atriplex canescens var. canescens is in the Chenopodiaceae family, genus Atriplex.
What habitat does Atriplex canescens var. canescens grow in?
Atriplex canescens var. canescens grows in Clay to gravelly flats, slopes, scrub.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
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.