Creeping Saltbush

Creeping Saltbush photos

Family: Saltbush (Chenopodiaceae)

Scientific Name:

Altriplex semibaccata

Trailing stems of fruiting Creeping Saltbush
Photo: A J Brown

Other Common Names:

Berry Saltbush, Diamond Saltbush

Status:

Australian native.

Plant Description:

Perennial subshrub, with long slender, weak and rather brittle prostrate stems. Spreading to 1 m or more and rarely exceeding 30 cm in height. The leaves are up to 25 mm long, oblong to lance-shaped, often toothed on the margins, green above and mealy-white below. Small, inconpspicuous clusters of flowers in leaf axils. Fruits are succulent red berries when fresh, 4-6 mm long, rather flat and diamond shaped.

Habitat:

Found in a range of soil types but more common on clay loams and clays. It readily colonises scalds and bare areas, tolerating moderate to high soil salinity.

Region	Salinity Class	Waterlogging Class
Mallee, Loddon Murray, Central and Northern, Wimmera	S0, S1, S2, S3	W0, W1, W2

Comments:

This species often grows in dense mats up to a few metres across and produces prolific amounts of seed. It can be useful as stock-feed when conditions are dry, though a few cases have been reported where it was suspected of stock poisoning when oxalate levels in young plants were excessive. It has been used overseas as a coloniser with some success.

Creeping Saltbush Photos

Creeping Saltbush Flower Ex Ma	Ripe fruit of Creeping Saltbush Photo: A J Brown
Creeping Saltbush leaves Photo: A J Brown	Creeping Saltbush plant Photo: A J Brown
Creeping Saltbush leaf Photo: A J Brown	Young developing fruit of Creeping Saltbush Photo: A J Brown

Related Links

Desert Tropicals - Creeping Saltbush (external link)

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