Chenopodium nutans

Chenopodium nutans^[1] (Syn Einadia nutans, Rhagodia nutans), known by its common name of climbing saltbush or nodding saltbush, is a climbing groundcover native to Australia.

Chenopodium nutans
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Amaranthaceae
Genus:	Chenopodium
Species:	C. nutans
Binomial name
Chenopodium nutans (R.Br.) S.Fuentes & Borsch
Synonyms[1]
Einadia nutans (R.Br.) A. J. Scott Rhagodia nutans R.Br.

Plants form a blanket on the surface, climbing over logs and up trees to a height of around 1 metre. Each plant grows to around one metre in diameter. The small leaves are semi-succulent, and have a distinctive arrowhead shape. They grow along long, vine-like branches spreading out form the centre of the plant. Both the leaves and the branches are of a light green colour.^[2]

Flowers are inconspicuous green balls, which form on top of terminal spikes during summer. These transform into very conspicuous, tiny, bright-red berries during early autumn.

Human uses

The plant was boiled along with other species of saltbush for use as a greens substitute by early European settlers in the Adelaide region.^[3] The plant is easily propagated, making it a particularly attractive and useful plant for revegetation projects. It has recently been enjoying increasing popularity as a garden plant, for its low maintenance, low water usage properties.^[4]