Atriplex confertifolia, the shadscale or spiny saltbush, is a species of evergreen shrub in the family Amaranthaceae, which is native to the western United States and northern Mexico. Description The height of Atriplex confertifolia varies from . Shadscale fruits and leaves provide important winter browse for domestic livestock and native herbivores. Compared to fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens), shadscale has shorter and wider leaves and the fruit does not have four wings (although it may have two wings in a "V" shape). This species blooms from March to June. Maximum osmotic pressure has been reported in Atriplex conf. where it is about 202.5 atm. Distribution and habitat Shadscale is a common, often dominant, shrub in the lowest and driest areas of the Great Basin. It prefers sandy, well-drained soils and it is tolerant of moderately saline conditions. Its habitats include alkaline desert valleys, hillsides, and bluffs. References External links USDA Plants Profile for Atriplex confertifolia (shadscale) Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of Atriplex confertifolia Missouri Botanical Garden: photo of herbarium isotype specimen of Atriplex subconferta (synonym of A. confertifolia) — collected in Wyoming (1911). confertifolia Flora of the Northwestern United States Flora of the Southwestern United States Flora of the South-Central United States Flora of the California desert regions Flora of the Colorado Plateau and Canyonlands region Flora of the Great Basin Plants described in 1845 Taxa named by John Torrey Forages Flora without expected TNC conservation status