Alkali Sink
In the lowest desert basins, water collects and evaporates, leaving behind salts and soils with a high pH. These dry lakebeds are also known as an alkali sinks, salt flats, or playas. While the playa itself may be devoid of vegetation, they are commonly ringed by salt-tolerant plants. Plants that can live in these alkali sinks are called “halophytes,” literally meaning salt loving. Examples of halophytes include saltgrass (Distichlis spicata), arrow-scale (Atriplex phyllostegia), iodine bush (Allenrolfia occidentalis), bush seepweed ( Suaeda moquinii), and yerba mansa (Anemopsis californica).
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