Atriplex
canescens, four-winged
saltbush is distributed across the western
U.S. as illustrated in the map on the right. The four-winged saltbush grows in
many different plant communities, but is dominant in sand dune plant
communites. This plant
grows in communities of black greasewood,
sagebrush, and blackbush.
It grows in salt-desert shrub communities. Some
of it’s morphological characteristics can explain why it likes these salty dry
conditions.
The four-winged saltbush is a woody shrub that can be 1ft. to over
10 ft. tall.
It has specialized leaves with
scales that help limit water loss and
later when mature they secrete salt. This shrub produces many seeds that are
spread by wind, animals, and water flow.
The fruit is a utricle and it is enclosed by two winged bracts
that give it it’s name. The
four-winged saltbush is native to Utah and is widely distributed in Utah
as
illustrated below.
