Atriplex hymenelytra
Encyclopedia
Atriplex hymenelytra is a species of saltbush
known by the common name desert holly. Desert holly is native to the Southwestern United States
, California
, Baja California
, and northwestern Mexico
.
, such as in the Mojave Desert
, reaching heights of between one half and one meter, 1.5-3 feet. It is generally a rounded bush covered in distinctive reflective silver-gray, twisted, oblong, many-pointed leaves.
The colour is from salt left on their leaves, this helps reflect the light and therefore reduce the amount of water lost.
The fruits are enclosed in disc-shaped bract
eoles after flowering.
The toothed leaves and the small reddish fruits borne on the plant give it a passing resemblance to the unrelated European holly.
Atriplex
Atriplex is a plant genus of 100-200 species, known by the common names of saltbush and orache . The genus is quite variable and widely distributed. It includes many desert and seashore plants and halophytes, as well as plants of moist environments...
known by the common name desert holly. Desert holly is native to the Southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
, and northwestern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Description
This is a desert-dwelling shrubShrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
, such as in the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
, reaching heights of between one half and one meter, 1.5-3 feet. It is generally a rounded bush covered in distinctive reflective silver-gray, twisted, oblong, many-pointed leaves.
The colour is from salt left on their leaves, this helps reflect the light and therefore reduce the amount of water lost.
The fruits are enclosed in disc-shaped bract
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
eoles after flowering.
The toothed leaves and the small reddish fruits borne on the plant give it a passing resemblance to the unrelated European holly.