| DESCRIPTION: Shadscale is a densely clumped , rounded, compact, evergreen to partially deciduous shrub. It generally attains heights of 20-80 cm and widths of 30-170 cm. Salts are concentrated in trichomes and deposited on leaf surfaces. It has a deep and extensive root system. USE: It is a valuable browse species. GROWING PERIOD: Perennial. COMMON NAMES: Shadscale, spiny saltbush, sheep-fat. FURTHER INF: Shadscale can be found in North America. In Utah, United States it can be found at elevations between 840-2280 m. North to south, shadscale is distributed from Oregon to Mexico. It inhabits both warm and cold deserts and is indicative of salt-desert shrub communities and occurs on dry slopes, flat areas, ridges, and valley bottoms. Photosynthesis pathway C4. |
