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| ## ARMED SALTBUSH {#armed-saltbush .Title-Header}                     |
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| *Atriplex acanthocarpa* (Torr.) S. Wats.                              |
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| plant symbol = ATAC                                                   |
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Contributed by: USDA NRCS Kika de la Garza Plant Materials Center

##### Alternate Names {#alternate-names .Header-3}

tubercled saltbush, huaha

##### Uses {#uses .Header-3}

Armed saltbush has wildlife value, providing shelter for birds and small
animals. It has also been documented as having nutritious browse for
cattle and deer (Garza & Fulbright, 1988). Garza and Fulbright note that
armed saltbush has higher crude protein levels than four-wing saltbush
(*Atriplex canescens*), a close relative of armed saltbush. Armed
saltbush has been used for windbreaks, roadside cover, and as an
ornamental (Correll & Johnston, 1996; Everitt & Drawe, 1993).

Four-wing saltbush has been used in the restoration of oil well reserve
pits with high salinities (Mc Farland, et al, 1987). Armed saltbush can
also be useful for plantings on such sites that exhibit complex alkaline
and saline soil problems, and can be more adapted than four-wing
saltbush in some situations. A 1988 study by Garza and Fulbright found
armed saltbush to have higher concentrations of sodium in its leaves
than four-wing saltbush. In addition, studies conducted by Kika de la
Garza PMC (1998) have found armed saltbush to be more adapted to the dry
saline conditions of South Texas than four-wing saltbush.

##### Status {#status .Header-3}

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural
Resources for this plant's current status (e.g. threatened or endangered
species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).

##### Description {#description .Header-3}

*General*: Armed saltbush (*Atriplex acanthocarpa*) is a native, saline
tolerant, evergreen, perennial shrub with a woody root (Correll &
Johnston, 1996). It can grow from 3 to 10 dm in height (Everitt & Drawe,
1993). It is a member of the pigweed (Chenopdiaceae) family (Jones,
1982).

Armed saltbush is also known by the common names huaha (Everitt & Drawe,
1993) and tubercled saltbush (USDA 2002) because the bracts of the fruit
have many flattened tubercles (Everitt & Drawe, 1993). It is dioecious,
having male and female flowers on separate plants (Correll & Johnston,
1996).

*Distribution*: For current distribution, please consult the Plant
Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web site.

##### Adaptation {#adaptation .Header-3}

Armed saltbush occurs in parts of South Texas (Jones, 1982), and Correll
& Johnston (1996) record its presence from West Texas to southern New
Mexico, and south into Mexico. Everitt and Drawe (1993) note that it is
found predominately in the western half of Texas, and less frequently in
Cameron, Starr, Webb, and Zapata counties. Armed saltbush prefers
well-drained, often alkaline soils. The Kika de la Garza Plant Material
Center staff has found that it does not do as well on wetter sites, as
it appears to be susceptible to cotton root rot.

##### Establishment {#establishment .Header-3}

Armed saltbush can be difficult to grow from seed, as it is very
particular about the conditions under which it will germinate.
Germination studies at the Plant Material Center using an 8 hour day
temperature of 70ºF and a 16 hour night temperature of 50ºF with various
light conditions yielded a maximum of 16% germination. Yet, a greenhouse
planting in the winter of 1999 yielded much higher germination,
indicating that the seed will germinate under the right conditions.
Testing conducted by the USDA National Seed Storage Laboratory in the
year 2000 confirmed good germination potential. A seed sample of armed
saltbush accession #9085310 sent to them in the fall of 1999 was found
to have 67% viable seed, 10% non-viable seed, and 23% empty seed
(personal communication with Loren Weisner, NSSL Curator, January 25,
2001).

The Plant Material Center staff has had fairly good success growing new
plants of armed saltbush from cuttings. Cuttings are best made in the
late spring, once new growth has started. They should be treated with a
rooting hormone to help facilitate root growth. Cuttings can be
transplanted after 3 months, but we suggest fall planting to give plants
a chance to get established before undergoing a hot, dry Texas summer.
The use of tree shelters to optimize soil moisture and protect small
plants from browsing animals is highly recommended (Kika de la Garza
Plant Materials Center, 1998).

##### Management {#management .Header-3}

Once established, armed saltbush requires very little management. Weed
control is the only management we do at the Plant Material Center, and
even that is optional. Female plants produce abundant seed and tend to
drop their leaves in the fall once seed has mostly matured. Male plants
will drop their flowers, but retain most of their leaves.

##### References {#references .Header-3}

Correll, D.S. & M.C. Johnston 1996. *Manual of the Vascular Plants of
Texas.* The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX.

Everitt, J.H. & D.L. Drawe 1993. *Trees, Shrubs, and Cacti of South
Texas.* Texas Tech University Press, Lubbock, TX.

Garza, A., Jr. & T.E. Fulbright 1998.

"Comparative chemical composition of armed saltbush and four-wing
saltbush." *Journal of Range Management* 41(5): 401-403.

Jones, F.B. 1982. *Flora of the Texas Coastal Bend.* Welder Wildlife
Foundation, Sinton, TX.

Kika de la Garza Plant Materials Center 1998. "An evaluation of
saltbushes (*Atriplex* spp.) for restoration of alkaline and saline
sites in south Texas." *Technical Note* 1(1)

Mc Farland, M.L., D.N. Ueckert, & S. Hartman 1987. **"**Revegetation of
oil well reserve pits in west Texas." *Journal of Range Management* 40:
122-127.

USDA, NRCS. 2002. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5
(http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA
70874-4490 USA.

##### 

##### Prepared By & Species Coordinator: {#prepared-by-species-coordinator .Header-3}

*John Lloyd-Reilley*, Manager

*Elizabeth Kadin*, Research Assistant

Kika de la Garza Plant Materials Center

Kingsville, Texas

##### 

##### Edited 20nov2003 jlk {#edited-20nov2003-jlk .Header-4}

#####  {#section-2 .Header-4}

For more information about this and other plants, please contact your
local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS
Web site\<[http://plants.usda.gov](http://plants.usda.gov/)\> or the
Plant Materials Program Web site
\<[http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov](http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov/)\>

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