Manochlamys albicans, a relative of old man saltbush

Manochlamys albicans is the sole member of its genus, making the genus a monotypic one. In the Karoo and Little Karoo the plant may be confused with some of the grey-leaved Atriplex species belonging to the same family, the Amaranthaceae.

Remember those tall grey bushes sometimes growing in rows on farms as one drives through the Karoo landscape? They are of the Atriplex genus, often Atriplex nummularia or old man saltbush (from Australia). At least three Atriplex species have been introduced long ago as fodder plants into South Africa. There are also some indigenous Atriplex species in South Africa.

Aerva is another Amaranthaceae or amaranth genus represented on this Site. Sarcocornia and Salsola previously of the Chenopodiaceae or goosefoot family have also been moved into Amaranthaceae. There are about 180 genera in the enlarged Amaranthaceae family and approximately 2500 species, including Beta vulgaris of which beetroot is a cultivated form; spinach also belongs to this family.

These plants usually have flowers characterised by five stamens opposite the five sepals. Brackish or saline soils are typical of the habitat of several of the South African members of the family. Sarcocornia, for instance, is comfortable among seaside rocks at the high-water mark where it copes with an abundance of salt (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010; Wikipedia).