Salsola soda |
Salsola kali |
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alkali Russian thistle, oppositeleaf Russian thistle |
common saltwort, prickly Russian thistle, Russian thistle, saltwort, tumbleweed |
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Habit | Herbs, 5–70 cm, glabrous. | Herbs, 5–50 cm, papillose to hispid or, occasionally, glabrous. | ||||
Stems | erect or ascending, branched from base or nearly so; branches straight or slightly arcuate (proximal ones sometimes almost prostrate). |
erect to ascending, branched from base; branches arcuate or, occasionally, almost prostrate. |
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Leaves | (especially proximal ones) mostly opposite; blade linear, usually more than 1.5 mm wide in herbarium specimens, fleshy, distinctly swollen or ovate at base, apex mucronulate, not spinose. |
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. |
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Inflorescences | distinctly interrupted, 1-flowered; bracts alternate or almost opposite, not imbricate, horizontally reflexed at maturity, swollen at base, abruptly narrowing into mucronulate nonspinose apex. |
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. |
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Flowers | bracteoles distinct, not adnate to perianth segments; perianth segments wingless or with rudimental triangular tubercles at maturity, margins crenate or pectinate-ciliate apically, glabrous; fruiting perianth ca. 3–6(–7) mm diam. 2n = 18. |
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. |
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Salsola soda |
Salsola kali |
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Phenology | Flowering spring–summer. | |||||
Habitat | Coastal and disturbed saline habitats | |||||
Elevation | 0-50 m (0-200 ft) | |||||
Distribution |
CA; Eurasia; n Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced in South America]
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AL; CA; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; LA; MA; MD; ME; MS; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OR; PA; RI; SC; TX; VA; NB; NF; NS; PE; QC; coastal areas of Europe; n Africa; sw Asia [Introduced and naturalized in other coastal regions]
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Discussion | Salsola soda can be expected to spread in California, or to appear in inland or coastal saline habitats in southern states. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Subspecies ca. 2 (2 in the flora). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 4, p. 402. | FNA vol. 4, p. 400. | ||||
Parent taxa | Chenopodiaceae > Salsola | Chenopodiaceae > Salsola | ||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||
Subordinate taxa | ||||||
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 233. (1753) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 222. (1753) | ||||
Web links |