Plants mainly 8-20 dm, not especially armed, not or seldom layering. Pistillate flowers borne in panicles 5-40 cm. Fruiting bracteoles with stipes 1-8, body with 4 prominent, dentate to entire wings extending length of bract, united throughout, mainly 8-12 mm wide and about as long, apex toothed, surface of wings and body smooth or reticulate. 2n = 36+.

Flowering spring-fall. Sandy or gravelly, commonly non-saline but in other situations obviously saline, sites in Joshua tree, blackbrush, greasewood, salt desert shrub, sagebrush, mountain brush, and pinyon-juniper communities; 100-2400 m; Alta.; Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Kans., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.Mex., N.Dak., Okla., Oreg., S.Dak., Tex., Utah, Wash., Wyo.; Mexico.

Narrow-leaved material from west Texas formed the basis of Atriplex canescens var. angustifolia. The nature of such narrow-leaved phases requires additional research. Probably the Texas plants having narrow leaves originated quite separately of other narrow-leaved phases.