Atriplex cordulata

Heartscale

Family: Chenopodiaceae · Type: annual · Native

Heartscale is a California native annual plant found in California's central and western valleys and coastal regions, typically growing in open grassland and disturbed areas. Flowering during the summer months, this plant produces small, inconspicuous flowers with grayish-green bracts that become distinctive in fruit. Growing 10 to 50 centimeters tall, it develops multiple rigid stems with ascending branches covered in gray scales. Its leaves are small and ovate, with distinctive cordate bases on the lower leaves, and are covered in a gray, scaly surface. The tiny seeds are reddish-brown, approximately 1.5 to 2 millimeters long, adding subtle visual interest to the plant's overall appearance.

California counties: Yolo, Fresno, Tulare, Colusa, Solano, Merced, San Luis Obispo, Butte, Contra Costa, Kern, Madera, Stanislaus, Glenn, San Joaquin

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.