Oxybasis salina
Oak leaved goosefoot
Family: Chenopodiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Oxybasis salina (Oak leaved goosefoot) is a native California herb in the Chenopodiaceae family, recognized by small size, saline wetland specialist with distinctive prostrate habit.
Oak leaved goosefoot is a California native annual found in the Cascade Range, eastern Sierra Nevada, San Bernardino Mountains, and Great Basin in open places with saline soils, drying ponds, and streambanks at elevations below 2,200 meters. Flowering from July to October, this plant produces small, inconspicuous greenish-white flowers in compact spherical clusters about 2 millimeters in diameter. Growing with prostrate lower stems and ascending upper stems 8 to 20 centimeters tall, it develops a delicate branching structure. Its leaves are lanceolate to oblong, 5 to 35 millimeters long, with wavy-toothed margins and a white-powdery underside that contrasts with its glabrous upper surface. The tiny horizontal seeds are approximately 0.9 to 1 millimeter long, nestled within three rounded sepals.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 26 sympatric species - small size, saline wetland specialist with distinctive prostrate habit
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open places, generally saline soils, drying ponds, streambanks
Elevation: < 2200 m
Outside California: to Canada, central United States
Bloom period
Oxybasis salina blooms Jul-Oct.
How to tell it apart
vs Chenopodiastrum: Chenopodium has mealy coating; Chenopodiastrum is smooth to slightly hairy without mealy texture.; vs Atriplex: Chenopodium has perfect flowers; Atriplex has separate male/female flowers with paired bracts on fruits.; vs Blitum: Chenopodium has dry fruits; Blitum has fleshy, berry-like fruiting calyxes.; vs Amaranthus: Chenopodium has mealy coating; Amaranthus is smooth with dense bristly flower spikes.; vs Rumex: Chenopodium has 5-parted flowers in clusters; Rumex has 6-parted flowers in whorls.
Frequently asked questions
Is Oxybasis salina native to California?
Yes. Oxybasis salina is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Oxybasis salina bloom?
Oxybasis salina blooms Jul-Oct.
What plant family does Oxybasis salina belong to?
Oxybasis salina is in the Chenopodiaceae family, genus Oxybasis.
What habitat does Oxybasis salina grow in?
Oxybasis salina grows in Open places, generally saline soils, drying ponds, streambanks.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Oxybasis chenopodioides — Low goosefoot
- Oxybasis macrosperma — Largeseed goosefoot
- Oxybasis rubra — Red pigweed
- Oxybasis rubra var. humilis — Red goosefoot
- Oxybasis rubra var. rubra — Red goosefoot
- Salicornia bigelovii — Bigelow's pickleweed
- Salicornia depressa — Virginia glasswort
- Salicornia pacifica — Glasswort
- Salicornia perennis — Chickenclaws
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.