North American Warm Desert Playa

Geology

Quaternary alluvial, playa, and caliche deposits.

Landform

Internally draining, somewhat circular basins.

Soils

Verhalen clay.

Parent Description

This system forms in alternately wet and dry, internally draining, often clay-lined basins, sometimes over caliche. They tend to be sparsely vegetated, sometimes with open water, or herbaceous vegetation. High evaporation rates leads to high salinity and halophytic species may be common. Species that may be present include Distichlis spicata (saltgrass), Allenrolfea occidentalis (pickle-weed), Tiquilia canescens (oreja de pero), Suaeda spp. (seablite), Salsola spp. (Russian thistle), and Atriplex canescens (four-wing saltbush).