''Atriplex acanthocarpa'' is a species of flowering plant in the
amaranth family known by the common names armed saltbush, tubercled saltbush, and ''huaha''. It is native to North America, where it is limited to the US states of
Arizona,
New Mexico, and
Texas, and adjacent Mexico.
[''Atriplex acanthocarpa'' var. ''acanthocarpa''.]
Flora of North America.
This species is a
shrub
A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...
or subshrub producing stems with woody bases growing up to about a meter tall by a meter wide.
[''Atriplex acanthocarpa''.]
Flora of North America. It has a woody root.
[''Atriplex acanthocarpa''.]
USDA NRCS Plant Guide. It is evergreen, the leaves persisting through the seasons. They are oppositely arranged basally and alternately arranged toward the ends of the stems. The leaf blades are variable in shape and size, growing up to 5 centimeters long. The plant is
dioecious
Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...
, with male and female flowering parts on separate plants. Male flowers are borne in spikes and female flowers are borne in axillary clusters or spikelike inflorescences.
[ The fruits have tubercles up to 8 millimeters long.][
This species is well-adapted to saline soils, and it can be planted on salty and alkaline substrates.][
This species blooms in late summer through the fall.
]
References
External links
USDA Plants Profile
{{Taxonbar, from=Q13541870
acanthocarpa
Dioecious plants