Atriplex serenana
Bractscale, stinking orach, Stinking Orach
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Chenopodiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Atriplex serenana (Bractscale) is a native California herb in the Chenopodiaceae family.
Bractscale is a California native annual plant found in dry, open habitats across California's coastal and interior regions at elevations near sea level to 1,000 meters. Flowering during late summer and early fall, the plant produces inconspicuous greenish flowers in small spheric clusters at the tips of its branches. Growing 30 to 100 centimeters tall with a distinctive mat-like growth habit, the plant develops decumbent to ascending branches that are sparsely covered with fine scales. Its leaves are elliptic to lanceolate, measuring 5 to 50 millimeters long, with irregular tooth-like edges and a slightly green appearance. The plant produces small brown seeds approximately 1 to 1.3 millimeters in size, enclosed by rounded bracts that are fused at the base and have toothed edges.
Habitat and range
California counties: Kern, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Fresno, Orange, San Bernardino, Merced, Inyo, San Diego, Riverside, San Joaquin, Ventura, Stanislaus, Lake, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco, Yolo, Imperial, Kings, Butte, Tulare, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Alameda, Sacramento, Madera, Mono, Solano
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 serenana native to California?
Yes. Atriplex serenana is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Atriplex serenana grow?
Atriplex serenana occurs in Kern, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Fresno, Orange, San Bernardino, Merced, Inyo and other counties.
What plant family does Atriplex serenana belong to?
Atriplex serenana 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.