Atriplex serenana var. serenana

Bractscale

Family: Chenopodiaceae · Type: annual · Native

Bractscale is a native annual found in southern Sierra Nevada, Great Valley, central and southern Western California, and southwestern and southeastern desert regions on alkaline flats and coastal bluffs at elevations below 2,100 meters. Flowering from April to October, this plant produces small, inconspicuous greenish-white flowers in elongate spikes or panicle clusters. Growing with slender, branching stems up to 50 centimeters tall, it spreads in delicate, open formations across dry, salty landscapes. Its leaves are narrow, ranging from 10 to 50 millimeters long, with simple blade-like structures adapted to arid environments. This plant is particularly well-suited to alkaline and coastal habitats, demonstrating remarkable tolerance for challenging growing conditions.

Habitat: Alkaline flats, coastal bluffs

Bloom period: Apr-Oct

Elevation: < 2100 m

Bioregions: s SN, GV, CW, SW, SNE (naturalized), D

California counties: Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Inyo, Merced, San Diego, Kings, Ventura, Tulare, Orange, Amador, Lake, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Yolo, Butte, Fresno, Kern, Monterey, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Stanislaus, Colusa, Madera, Sacramento, Mono

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