Grayia spinosa Family: Chenopodiaceae – Goosefoot Family Woody shrubs; 1.6' to 4.9' (5 to 15 dm) tall; branches more less thorny Leaves: alternate; simple; grey or bluish; entire; has hairs; 0.2” to 1.2” (5 to 30 mm) long or more, 0.08” to 0.48” (2 to 12 mm) wide Flowers: 0 petals; 4 or 5 lobed sepals; 1 pistil; 2 stigmas; 4 stamens; greenish, inconspicuous; dioecious, or less commonly monoecious; unisexual; imperfect; male (staminate) flowers with usually 4 lobed sepals, 0.06” to 0.08” (1.5 to 2 mm) long; 4 stamens, 2 to 5 flowers in clusters; female (pistillate) flowers 1 to several per bract Pollinators: other genera in this family are pollinated by wind Fruits: utricles – small 1 seeded fruit with a thin wall; large number of seeds that persist Blooms in Arches National Park: April, May Habitat in Arches National Park: desert shrub and pinyon-juniper communities; characteristically grows on halophytic (salty) soils Location seen: Sand Dune Arch trail, Eye of the Whale Arch Other: The genus name, "Grayia" honors Asa Gray (1810-1888), a distinguished American botanist and professor at Harvard University. The species name, “spinosa”, is from Latin for "thorny". Plants in this family are generally weedy, but beets and spinach are members of this family. The family is called the goosefoot family because the leaf shape may look like a goose's foot. |
Last updated: November 11, 2022