Salsola kali
Salsola paulsenii
common saltwort, prickly Russian thistle, Russian thistle, saltwort, tumbleweed
barbwire Russian-thistle, Paulsen's Russian thistle
erect to ascending, branched from base;
branches arcuate or, occasionally, almost prostrate.
erect, rarely ascending or prostrate, profusely branched from or near base (rarely simple in underdeveloped specimens);
branches straight or arcuate.
alternate;
blade linear, mostly 1–2 mm wide in herbarium specimens, fleshy, usually not swollen at base, apex ± acuminate into rather firm, 1–1.5(–2.2) mm spine.
alternate;
blade filiform to narrowly linear, usually less than 1 mm wide, occasionally to 2 mm wide in herbarium specimens, fleshy or not, not swollen at base, apex subspinose or spinescent.
interrupted at maturity, usually 1-flower per axil of bract;
bracts alternate, not imbricate at maturity, reflexed, not distinctly swollen at base, apex narrowing into subulate spine.
distinctly interrupted at maturity, 1-flowered (rarely 2–3-flowered with lateral flowers mostly abortive);
bracts alternate, not imbricate, strongly reflexed at maturity, base not distinctly swollen, narrowing into spinose apex.
bracteoles free or becoming connate and adnate to perianth base;
perianth segments with comparatively narrow wing or in lower flowers occasionally wingless (in S. kali subsp. pontica sometimes prominently winged), with weak or firm, acute apex, glabrous; fruiting perianth 4–6(–8) mm diam. 2n = 36.
bracteoles spreading or reflexed, distinct or connate near base, spinescent;
perianth segments prominently winged (two wings usually reduced to small, almost subulate winglike appendages), apex long-acuminate or long-subulate and spinose, forming slender columnar beak distal to wings at maturity, glabrous; fruiting perianth 7–12 mm diam. 2n = 36.
Salsola kali
Salsola paulsenii
Subspecies ca. 2 (2 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Salsola paulsenii may be expected in the future also in New Mexico and Texas, as well as in some Great Plains states. It was first reported from North America by P. A. Munz (1968). Additional details of distribution and morphology of this species have been discussed by J. C. Beatley (1973c), T. C. Fuller (1986), and S. Rilke (1999).
Salsola paulsenii is weakly differentiated from S. tragus sensu stricto. Intermediate forms between them seem to be more common along margins of the natural range of the species and in secondary, synanthropic localities. According to S. Rilke (1999), the hybrids S. paulsenii × S. tragus are identical with S. ×gobicola Iljin. Forms conventionally named as “Salsola X” and “S. paulsenii lax form” with 2n = 54 (H. L. Arnold 1972; F. J. Ryan and D. R. Ayres 2000) are probably also of hybrid origin.
Reports of chromosome number 2n = 18 for Salsola paulsenii are probably erroneous and based on misinterpretation of data provided by N. L. Semiotrocheva (1983).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Perianth segments with rigid, subspinose apex and prominent midvein; bracteoles distinct, not swol- len | subsp. kali |
1. Perianth segments with weak apex and obscure midvein; bracteoles connate at base, swollen | subsp. pontica |
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PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. 
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