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The desert holly (Atriplex hymenelytra) belongs to Chenopodiaceae (the Goosefoot family). It is an evergreen shrub that is native to deserts of the southwestern United States. It is the most drought tolerant saltbush in North America. It is generally a compact, rounded bush, 20-120 cm in height. The leaves are ovate to round, wavy holly-shaped, with tiny gray to white scales. It blooms from January to April in the Sonoran Desert. This plant is either male or female in their natural dry, desert habitat. Green or red fruits occur in dense clusters enclosed in disc-shaped leaf-like bracts, after flowering.
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