Amargosa niterwort (Nitrophila mohavensis)

[u/tenacious-toad]

The Amargosa niterwort (Nitrophila mohavensis) grows exclusively in alkali wetlands in the Amargosa River Basin of Nevada & California. Just a couple of inches tall at most, growing in scattered clumps in salt crust, the niterwort thrives in some of the most extreme environments on Earth. Summer temperatures within its range regularly exceed 115°F and average precipitation is 3.5 inches. It has populations at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Nevada and nearby Carson Slough in California; as well as down the Amargosa River about 35 miles in the town of Tecopa, California. It is listed as endangered under both the federal and California Endangered Species Acts. Its groundwater-dependent habitat is threatened by overexploitation of groundwater resources for agriculture and mining, as well as by climate change.

[u/princessbubbbles]

What a cute little extremophile! I'm glad to know it exists

[u/valiant-polis27]

I've eaten some a few times

[u/princessbubbbles → u/valiant-polis27]

How does it taste?

[u/valiant-polis27 → u/princessbubbbles]

Salty almost completely which is cool because it up took that from the ocean water and plant like, maybe veryy slightly bitter if I remember correctly.

Salty plant, like aloe maybe if it was salty flavored

[u/NilocKhan]

So many fascinating plants and animals at Ash Meadows, it's really a shame the BLM is allowing exploratory mining in the area

[u/No-Hunt-2509]

It's very pretty, from what I understand the envirornment has to be humid? (humour me as english is not my first language)

[u/Rithalta]

Really love hearing about all the ways plants adapt to unforgiving environments.