Allergy Information

Pollen allergenicity is said to cross-react with pollen from Amaranthus (pigweed) and Chenopodium (goosefoot) plants, which are particularly allergenic. Some saltbush species have been reported to be a major cause of late-summer pollinosis in SW U.S. and California. Saltbush pollen has not been reported to be a major cause of allergy in eastern U.S.

Genus Details

Members of the genus Atriplex are usually herbs or shrubs with deep roots and inconspicuous flowers. About 60 species are native or naturalized to the U.S., growing in salty, arid, and semiarid soils. Herbaceous plants usually have lance-shaped or triangular leaves with flowers located in clusters up to 12 inches tall. Plants can be up to 4 feet tall. Shrubs have woody stems that can grow 6 to 9 feet tall and typically have silvery-white leaves. Wind-pollinated, flowering occurs during August to October, but it can occur in early spring to autumn depending on the species and latitude.

Pollen Description

Pollen grains of the Chenopodiaceae resemble golfballs, with a spheroidal shape and pantoporate surface. The pores are circular and distributed evenly across the pollen grain.

Pollen grains of Atriplex vary in size between 23 and 30 micrometers.

Genus Distribution

The shaded areas on the map indicates where the genus has been observed in the United States.

- Native, observed in a county 

- Introduced, observed in a county 

- Rarely observed