Atriplex watsonii
Matscale
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Family: Chenopodiaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Atriplex watsonii (Matscale) is a native California shrub in the Chenopodiaceae family, recognized by distinctive mat-forming habit and coastal habitat diagnostic.
Matscale is a California native perennial subshrub found in southern Central Coast, southern California coastal, and Channel Islands bioregions on bluffs, sand dunes, salt marshes, and beaches at elevations below 170 meters. Flowering from March to October, this plant produces white-scaly flowers that develop in dense, mat-like clusters. Growing with several prostrate to decumbent stems spreading 5 to 30 centimeters in diameter, it forms a low, wide ground-covering plant. Its thick, fleshy leaves are wide-elliptic to ovate, generally opposite, and measuring 8 to 25 millimeters long. The plant produces small seeds approximately 1 millimeter in size and is typically dioecious, with separate male and female plants.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 25 sympatric species; distinctive mat-forming habit and coastal habitat diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Bluffs, sand dunes, salt marshes, scrub, beaches
Elevation: < 170 m
California counties: San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Kern
Outside California: Baja California
Bloom period
Atriplex watsonii blooms Mar-Oct.
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 watsonii native to California?
Yes. Atriplex watsonii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Atriplex watsonii bloom?
Atriplex watsonii blooms Mar-Oct.
Where in California does Atriplex watsonii grow?
Atriplex watsonii occurs in San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Kern, at elevations of < 170 m.
What plant family does Atriplex watsonii belong to?
Atriplex watsonii is in the Chenopodiaceae family, genus Atriplex.
What habitat does Atriplex watsonii grow in?
Atriplex watsonii grows in Bluffs, sand dunes, salt marshes, scrub, beaches.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Atriplex amnicola — Swamp saltbush
- Atriplex argentea — Silverscale
- Atriplex argentea var. argentea — Silverscale saltbush
- Atriplex argentea var. expansa — Mojave silverscale
- Atriplex argentea var. hillmanii — Hillman's silverscale
- Atriplex argentea var. longitrichoma — Pahrump orach
- Bassia hyssopifolia — Five horn bassia
- Bassia scoparia
- Bassia sp.
- Beta sp. — Beet
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.