Taxon: Atriplex canescens (Pursh) Nutt.

Summary

Genus:

Atriplex

Family:

Chenopodiaceae

Subfamily:

Chenopodioideae

Tribe:

Chenopodieae

Nomen number:

6000

Place of publication:

Gen. N. Amer. pl. 1:197. 1818

Verified:

04/28/2012 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

145 (139 active, 85 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Atriplex canescens (Pursh) Nutt. var. canescens (24 active accession[s])
Atriplex canescens (Pursh) Nutt. var. gigantea S. L. Welsh & Stutz (0 active accession[s])
Atriplex canescens (Pursh) Nutt. var. laciniata Parish (8 active accession[s])
Atriplex canescens (Pursh) Nutt. var. macilenta Jeps. (1 active accession[s])

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Images (3 total. Click on image for more.)

Links

Forestry Images – from www.forestryimages.org
Fruit – Seed ID Workshop image, from Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, Ohio State University

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
Bassett, I. J. et al. 1983. The genus Atriplex in Canada. Monogr. Res. Branch Canada Dept. Agric. 31:60-64.
Beatley, J. C. 1976. Vascular plants of the Nevada test site and central-southern Nevada
Boulos, L. 1999-. Flora of Egypt
Englert, J. M. et al. 2001. USDA-NRCS Improved conservation plant materials released by NRCS and cooperators
FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
Harrington, H. 1954. Manual of the plants of Colorado.
Hickman, J. C., ed. 1993. The Jepson manual: higher plants of California
Hitchcock, C. L. et al. 1955-1969. Vascular plants of the Pacific Northwest.
Kearney, T. H. & R. H. Peebles. 1969. Arizona flora, ed. 2.
Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada.
Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
Ma, D. et al. 2021. Atriplex canescens, a valuable plant in soil rehabilitation and forage production. A review. Sci. tot. environm. 804:150287. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150287.
McNeill, J. et al. 1983. Taxonomic and nomenclatural notes on Atriplex L. (Chenopodiaceae). Taxon 32:553-554.
Munz, P. A. & D. D. Keck. 1959. A California flora.
Munz, P. A. 1974. A flora of southern California.
Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Standley, P. C. 1920. Trees and shrubs of Mexico. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 23:1-1721.
Stutz, H. C. 1975. The holotype of Atriplex canescens is not A. canescens; or is it? Proc. Utah Acad. Sci. 52:65.
Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:598. DOI: 10.1016/j.mb.2016.06.017.
Welsh, S. L. & C. Crompton. 1995. Names and types in perennial Atriplex Linnaeus (Chenopodiaceae) in North America selectively exclusive of Mexico. Great Basin Naturalist 55:324.
Welsh, S. L. & G. Moore. 1973. Utah plants
Welsh, S. L. et al. 1987. A Utah flora. Great Basin Naturalist Mem. 9.
2018. Oklahoma vascular plant database

Common names

Language	Name	seq	Citation
English	chamiso	1	Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
English	four-wing saltbush	1	Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
English	shadscale	1	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanish	cenizo	2	Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
Spanish	chamere	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanish	chamizo	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanish (Mexico)	chamiza	2	Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Kansas	w.	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Nebraska	w.	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	North Dakota	w.	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Oklahoma		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	South Dakota		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Baja California (Norte)		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:598. DOI: 10.1016/j.mb.2016.06.017.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Baja California Sur		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:598. DOI: 10.1016/j.mb.2016.06.017.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Chihuahua		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:598. DOI: 10.1016/j.mb.2016.06.017.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Coahuila de Zaragoza		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:598. DOI: 10.1016/j.mb.2016.06.017.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Durango		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:598. DOI: 10.1016/j.mb.2016.06.017.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Nuevo León		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:598. DOI: 10.1016/j.mb.2016.06.017.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	San Luis Potosí		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:598. DOI: 10.1016/j.mb.2016.06.017.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Sinaloa		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:598. DOI: 10.1016/j.mb.2016.06.017.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Sonora		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:598. DOI: 10.1016/j.mb.2016.06.017.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Tamaulipas		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:598. DOI: 10.1016/j.mb.2016.06.017.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Zacatecas		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:598. DOI: 10.1016/j.mb.2016.06.017.
1	Native	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Colorado		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Idaho		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Montana		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Oregon		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Washington		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Wyoming		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	South-Central U.S.A.	United States	New Mexico		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	South-Central U.S.A.	United States	Texas		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Aguascalientes		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:598. DOI: 10.1016/j.mb.2016.06.017.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Campeche		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:598. DOI: 10.1016/j.mb.2016.06.017.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Hidalgo		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:598. DOI: 10.1016/j.mb.2016.06.017.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Puebla		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:598. DOI: 10.1016/j.mb.2016.06.017.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Quintana Roo		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:598. DOI: 10.1016/j.mb.2016.06.017.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:598. DOI: 10.1016/j.mb.2016.06.017.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Yucatán		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:598. DOI: 10.1016/j.mb.2016.06.017.
1	Native	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	Arizona		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	California		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	Nevada		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	Utah		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Western Canada	Canada	Alberta	s.	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Gansu Sheng		Ma, D. et al. 2021. Atriplex canescens, a valuable plant in soil rehabilitation and forage production. A review. Sci. tot. environm. 804:150287. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150287.
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Qinghai Sheng		Ma, D. et al. 2021. Atriplex canescens, a valuable plant in soil rehabilitation and forage production. A review. Sci. tot. environm. 804:150287. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150287.
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu		Ma, D. et al. 2021. Atriplex canescens, a valuable plant in soil rehabilitation and forage production. A review. Sci. tot. environm. 804:150287. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150287.
4	Naturalized	Africa	Northern Africa	Egypt			Boulos, L. 1999-. Flora of Egypt

Native
Northern America

WESTERN CANADA: Canada [Alberta (s.)]
NORTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Kansas (w.), Nebraska (w.), North Dakota (w.), Oklahoma, South Dakota]
NORTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming]
SOUTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [New Mexico, Texas]
SOUTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah]
NORTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Baja California (Norte), Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas]
SOUTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Aguascalientes, Campeche, Hidalgo, Puebla, Quintana Roo, Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, Yucatán]

Cultivated
Asia-Temperate

CHINA: China [Gansu Sheng, Qinghai Sheng, Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu]

Naturalized
Africa

NORTHERN AFRICA: Egypt

Reference(s)

Boulos, L. 1999-. Flora of Egypt
FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Ma, D. et al. 2021. Atriplex canescens, a valuable plant in soil rehabilitation and forage production. A review. Sci. tot. environm. 804:150287. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150287.
Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:598. DOI: 10.1016/j.mb.2016.06.017.

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Animal food	forage	for livestock and big-game browse	Englert, J. M. et al. 2001. USDA-NRCS Improved conservation plant materials released by NRCS and cooperators
Animal food	forage	potential, needs optimization in China	Ma, D. et al. 2021. Atriplex canescens, a valuable plant in soil rehabilitation and forage production. A review. Sci. tot. environm. 804:150287. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150287.
Environmental	erosion control	for rangeland restoration	Englert, J. M. et al. 2001. USDA-NRCS Improved conservation plant materials released by NRCS and cooperators
Environmental	firebreak	potential	Ma, D. et al. 2021. Atriplex canescens, a valuable plant in soil rehabilitation and forage production. A review. Sci. tot. environm. 804:150287. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150287.
Environmental	hemiparasite host	host for Cistanthe deserticola	Ma, D. et al. 2021. Atriplex canescens, a valuable plant in soil rehabilitation and forage production. A review. Sci. tot. environm. 804:150287. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150287.
Environmental	revegetator	for degraded soils	Ma, D. et al. 2021. Atriplex canescens, a valuable plant in soil rehabilitation and forage production. A review. Sci. tot. environm. 804:150287. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150287.
Environmental	revegetator	for rangeland restoration	Englert, J. M. et al. 2001. USDA-NRCS Improved conservation plant materials released by NRCS and cooperators
Vertebrate poisons	mammals		Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada.

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=6000. Accessed 15 April 2026.