Nitrophila occidentalis
Encyclopedia
Nitrophila occidentalis is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family
known by the common name boraxweed. It is native to the western United States and northern Mexico, where it can be found in habitat with moist alkaline soils, such as salt pans
. It is a rhizomatous
perennial herb producing decumbent or erect stems up to about 30 centimeters tall. The stems have paired branches lined with oppositely arranged, fleshy, linear or oblong green leaves up to 1.6 centimeters in length. Flowers occur in the leaf axils, alone or in clusters of up to 3, accompanied by small bract
s. The flower lacks petals but has five pointed sepal
s 1 or 2 millimeters long which are white or pink in color, fading white with age.
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....
known by the common name boraxweed. It is native to the western United States and northern Mexico, where it can be found in habitat with moist alkaline soils, such as salt pans
Dry lake
Dry lakes are ephemeral lakebeds, or a remnant of an endorheic lake. Such flats consist of fine-grained sediments infused with alkali salts. Dry lakes are also referred to as alkali flats, sabkhas, playas or mud flats...
. It is a rhizomatous
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
perennial herb producing decumbent or erect stems up to about 30 centimeters tall. The stems have paired branches lined with oppositely arranged, fleshy, linear or oblong green leaves up to 1.6 centimeters in length. Flowers occur in the leaf axils, alone or in clusters of up to 3, accompanied by small bract
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
s. The flower lacks petals but has five pointed sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s 1 or 2 millimeters long which are white or pink in color, fading white with age.