Atriplex coronata
Crownscale
(c) Pacific Southwest Region U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Chenopodiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Atriplex coronata (Crownscale) is a native California herb in the Chenopodiaceae family, recognized by no sympatric species.
Crownscale is a California native annual herb found in low-elevation desert and coastal regions across southern California. Flowering from April to August, this plant produces inconspicuous green flowers in small axillary clusters with distinctive gray-green herbage. Growing with decumbent to erect stiff branches 10 to 30 centimeters tall, the plant develops a compact, multi-stemmed form with gray-scaled stems that become straw-colored with age. Its leaves are elliptic to ovate, 8 to 20 millimeters long, with a tapered base and gray-scaled surface, becoming progressively smaller toward the stem tips. The plant produces small dark brown seeds approximately 1 to 1.5 millimeters in size, characteristic of its unique Atriplex genus.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; no sympatric species
Habitat and range
California counties: Contra Costa, Kern, Kings, San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, Tulare, Monterey, Merced, San Benito, Solano, Riverside, Madera, Alameda, Santa Clara, Colusa, Fresno, Santa Barbara
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 coronata native to California?
Yes. Atriplex coronata is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Atriplex coronata grow?
Atriplex coronata occurs in Contra Costa, Kern, Kings, San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, Tulare, Monterey, Merced and other counties.
What plant family does Atriplex coronata belong to?
Atriplex coronata is in the Chenopodiaceae family, genus Atriplex.
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.