Atriplex cordulata var. erecticaulis

Earlimart orach

Family: Chenopodiaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Earlimart orach is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native annual found in the San Joaquin Valley in saline or alkaline soils at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from August to September, this plant produces small, unremarkable flowers with distinctive fan-shaped or deltate bracts that become prominent in fruit. Growing to about 30 to 50 centimeters tall with erect stems, it develops a delicate, upright branching structure. Its leaves are likely small and somewhat succulent, adapting to the challenging saline environments where it grows. The fruit bracts are particularly noteworthy, with a central tooth that is typically shorter than the surrounding edges, a key identifying characteristic of this rare variety.

Habitat: Saline or alkaline soils

Bloom period: Aug-Sep

Elevation: < 100 m

Bioregions: SnJV.

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