Four-winged Saltbush
Atriplex canescens

Family: Amaranthaceae

What it is like

A shrub. It grows 1.5 m high and spreads 1.5 m wide. There is a dense mass of stems. The leaves are narrow and have blunt tips. They have a mealy white appearance. The flowers are small and yellow. The fruit are papery and have 4 wings. They are crowded into short spikes.

There are about 100-300 Atriplex species. They have also been put in the family Chenopodiaceae.

Where it is found

It grows in warm temperate places. It grows in areas with a rainfall between 100-518 mm per year. It can tolerate frost. It can grow in salty and alkaline soils. It can grow in arid places. It suits hardiness zones 7-10.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, Central America, China, Egypt, Hawaii, Iran, Israel, Libya, Mediterranean, Mexico (country/location of origin), Middle East, North Africa, North America, Pacific, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, USA

How it is used for food

The leaves taste salty. The new shoots and leaves are eaten as greens. The seeds are ground and used as meal. This can be mixed with other seeds and used as flour or used to make a drink. The plant is also burnt to produce mineral-rich ashes used to colour corn products.

Edible parts

Leaves, seeds

How it is grown

Plants can be grown by seed or cuttings.

Its other names

Local names

Chamisa, Chamizo, Grey sage brush

Synonyms

Atriplex angustior Cockerell; Atriplex berlandieri Moq.; Atriplex canescens subsp. canescens; Atriplex canescens var. canescens; Atriplex fruticosa Nutt. ex Moq.; Atriplex heterophylla Nutt. ex Moq.; Obione canescens (James) Moq.; and others