Extriplex joaquinana

San joaquin spearscale, San Joaquin Spearscale

Family: Chenopodiaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

San joaquin spearscale is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native annual found in northern coastal interior California, the Great Valley, central coastal California, San Francisco Bay Area, and southern coastal interior eastern slopes in alkaline soils at elevations below 350 meters. Flowering from April to September, this plant produces white to green flowers with fine scales that become glabrous with age. Growing 1 to 10 decimeters tall with irregularly wavy-dentate leaves that have truncate to tapered bases, the plant features petioled leaves that become progressively smaller toward the stem tips. Its leaves measure 10 to 70 millimeters long, with distinctive irregular wave-like edges and a fine scaling that diminishes as the plant matures. The small dark brown to black seeds are approximately 1 to 1.5 millimeters in size.

Habitat: Alkaline soils

Bloom period: Apr-Sep

Elevation: < 350(840) m

Bioregions: NCoRI, GV, CCo, SnFrB, SCoRI (e slope).

California counties: Yolo, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Benito, Colusa

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