The Shrubs of Wyoming. 11 



GOOSEFOOT FAMILY. 



( Chenopodiaceae) . 



The members of the family are homely herbs and shrubby 

 plants which are usually succulent, generally grayish in color 

 and more or less scurfy, the flowers small, greenish and incon- 

 spicuous. To this family belong the cultivated beet, garden 

 spinach, lamb's-quarters and Australian saltbush. It is rep- 

 resented in this state by various perennial herbs, many annuals, 

 some of which are of a weedy character, and by a number of 

 shrubs and undershrubs. 



The saltbushes (Atriple.r spp.) are grayish and more or 

 less white-mealy or scurfy annuals or perennials, growing natu- 

 rally on alkali lands in arid regions. In the Red Desert they are 

 especially abundant and here furnish more than half of the 

 winter forage for vast herds of sheep. All the saltbushes are 

 readily eaten by stock, and several of our native ones are wor- 

 thy of cultivation. There are seven native saltbushes in this 

 state, three being annuals and four perennials. All the peren- 

 nial ones are more or less woody at base, but only the two given 

 below are distinctively shrubby. The first of these is commonly 

 known as shad-scale. 



Shad-scale (Atriple.v canescens (Pursh) James). 



A low grayish, scurfy shrub, two feet high or less, with nar- 

 rowly oblong or linear leaves which are one-half to two inches 

 long. This saltbush occurs on clayey hillsides and bluffs, being 

 rather conspicuous toward the close of the growing season, 

 when heavily loaded with the large succulent and 4-winged 

 seeds (technically fruits). It is freely browsed by stock, and 

 in Arizona and New Mexico is considered a valuable forage 

 plant. 



Spiny Saltbush (Atriplex confertifolia Wats.) 



A much-branched, somewhat spiny, grayish shrub, one to 

 several feet high. It is readily distinguished from the preced- 

 ing by its broad leaves and very different seeds. The bracts 



