Fruiting bodies and leaves. Photographer Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Shrub. Photographer Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Common Name

Pop Saltbush

Family

Chenopodiaceae

Notes

Annual or perennial forb or shrub to 1m tall.  Leaves 1-2cm long, flat, scurfy, the edges entire to toothed.  Flowers tiny (less than 3mm across), male and female flowers on the same plant, in mixed clusters of male and female flowers at the bases of the leaves. 

Differs from Atriplex holocarpa in that the leaves have no or very short stalks, and the fruiting bodies are 4-6mm (rarely to 8mm) long.

Short description (page 244) and line drawing of fruiting body (page 242 Fig. 44-27) in G.M. Cunningham, WE Mulham, PL Milthorpe and J H Leigh (1981 and later printings) Plants of Western New South Wales

PlantNET description:   http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Atriplex~spongiosa