Atriplex coronata var. notatior

San jacinto valley crownscale, San Jacinto Valley Crownscale

Family: Chenopodiaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1 · Endangered

San jacinto valley crownscale is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native annual found in eastern Southern California in the San Jacinto Valley, Riverside County, on alkaline flats at elevations of 400 to 500 meters. Flowering from April to August, this plant produces small, dense spherical fruits with prominent tubercles. Growing with branches that are mostly erect and compact, it reaches a modest height typical of desert annual species. Its fruits are distinctive, measuring 4.5 to 5 millimeters wide with dense tubercles nearly equal to the marginal teeth. The plant's adaptation to alkaline environments makes it a specialized species of the San Jacinto Valley ecosystem.

Habitat: Alkaline flats

Bloom period: Apr-Aug

Elevation: 400-500 m

Bioregions: e SCo (San Jacinto Valley, Riverside Co.).

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