Bladder Saltbush
Atriplex vesicaria
An erect or sprawling shrub up to a metre high. Scaly grey-green oval in leaves to 3 cm long. Males have flowers in clusters on slender dense spikes at the ends of branches, females solitary at the junctions of upper leaf and stems. Stemless fruiting bracteoles to 12 mm long with inflated spongy appendages.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Flora Type | Chenopods |
| Other Common Names | Perennial Saltbush |
| Distinctive Features | A shrub with scaly green leaves with a whitish covering to completely white, and brittle, woody stems. |
| Biology | Found on alluvial plains, sand plains, rocky hills and ridges, and has good salt tolerance. High drought tolerance with a tendency to shed leaves to conserve moisture. Viable seed occurs in winter and recruitment of new plants is also restricted to winters with effective rainfall. |
| Native Status | Native |
| Taxonomy | |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Tracheophyta (Vascular Plants) |
| Class | Magnoliopsida (Flowering Plants) |
| Order | Caryophyllales |
| Family | Chenopodiaceae |
| Genus | Atriplex |
| Species | vesicaria |
Male plants reportedly not palatable to livestock due to a chemical deterrent. Seeds and possibly leaves of some species were used as food by Aboriginal people.
| Interesting Facts | |
|---|---|
| Similar Species | Eight subspecies with distinctions not always clear-cut, with bladder size and leaf size being useful distinguishing characteristics. |
| Native Status | Native |