Kochia americana
Encyclopedia
Neokochia americana is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family
, subfamily Camphorosmoideae
, known by the common name green molly.
growing many sprawling, mostly unbranched stems to a maximum height near 40 centimeters. The stems are covered in small, fleshy, knobby leaves less than 2 centimeters long. The stems and foliage are sometimes slightly hairy. Leaf anatomy is of the "C3 Neokochia americana type" with a thick-walled aqueous tissue. White-woolly flowers appear singly or in small clusters. The fruiting perianth is 5-winged.
to Montana
to Texas
, where it grows in dry, alkaline soils such as alkali flats and desert washes
.
A closely related species is Neokochia californica.
Amaranthaceae
The flowering plant family Amaranthaceae, the Amaranth family, contains about 176 genera and 2,400 species.- Description :Most of these species are herbs or subshrubs; very few are trees or climbers. Some species are succulent....
, subfamily Camphorosmoideae
Camphorosmoideae
The Camphorosmoideae is a species-rich subfamily of the Amaranthaceae, formerly in family Chenopodiaceae.- Description :The members of Camphorosmoideae are mostly subshrubs or annuals. They differ from the similar Salsoloideae by the absence of bracteoles. Stigmas are filiform with papillae on the...
, known by the common name green molly.
Description
Neokochia americana is a squat dwarf 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...
growing many sprawling, mostly unbranched stems to a maximum height near 40 centimeters. The stems are covered in small, fleshy, knobby leaves less than 2 centimeters long. The stems and foliage are sometimes slightly hairy. Leaf anatomy is of the "C3 Neokochia americana type" with a thick-walled aqueous tissue. White-woolly flowers appear singly or in small clusters. The fruiting perianth is 5-winged.
Distribution
Neokochia americana is native to the western United States from CaliforniaCalifornia
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...
to Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, where it grows in dry, alkaline soils such as alkali flats and desert washes
Arroyo (creek)
An arroyo , a Spanish word translated as brook, and also called a wash is usually a dry creek or stream bed—gulch that temporarily or seasonally fills and flows after sufficient rain. Wadi is a similar term in Africa. In Spain, a rambla has a similar meaning to arroyo.-Types and processes:Arroyos...
.
A closely related species is Neokochia californica.