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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE GOOSEFOOT FAMILY | ||
| The goosefoots are found in a wide variety of habitats around the world, but are especially common in dry or saline soil. Many species are considered weedy or invasive. This family contains over 1,150 fleshy herbs and shrubs. Some species may have kranz venation. This means that if you scrape the leaf with a sharp object you will see a dark network of veins if you look under a microscope at 10X magnification. This character is often used in the identification of plants in this family. The flowers are very small and are found in dense clusters in the leaf axils or at the ends or branches. The sepals and petals are not easily distinguishable, so they may be referred to as the perianth or as tepals. The flowers have five distinct stamens. There is a wide range of physical variation within species. | ||
| POWELL’S SALTBRUSH | ||
| LATIN NAME: Atriplex powellii | ||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | ||
| Powell’s saltbrush is an herb that grows 5 to 100 cm tall and may be as wide as it is tall. The annual stem is branched at the base and the branches are curved upwards. The leaves are alternate, though the lowest leaves may be opposite. The leaves are short-stalked to sessile near the top of the stem. The leaves are almost as wide as long and are silvery gray. The leaves have the kranz-type venation and have three veins that can be seen without magnification. The male and female flowers are on the same plant. The male flowers have no bracts and the perianth is in five parts. The female flowers have bracts that are irregularly toothed. The seeds are flat, and light brown or yellowish. | ||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | ||
| Powell’s saltbrush grows in dry, subsaline clay flats. | ||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | ||
| This plant grows in southwestern Saskatchewan in the Mixed Grassland ecoregion. | ||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | ||
| Powell’s saltbush is endangered in Saskatchewan because it is regionally restricted. Powell’s saltbush is usually locally numerous, but within limited areas. Possible threats to this species include human development and fragile habitat. | ||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY POWELL’S SALTBRUSH | ||
| * Do the leaves have kranz-type venation? * Are the plants herbaceous? * Do the leaves have three veins that can be seen without a microscope? * Did you find in southwestern Saskatchewan? |
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If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have Powell’s saltbrush! |
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