Salsola L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 222 (1753), nom. cons.
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Eurasia to Australia, Sahara & Sahel to N. Kenya, California.

Descriptions

Chenopodiaceae, J. P. M. Brenan. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1954

Morphology General Habit
Annual or more often perennial herbs or shrubs, usually more or less pubescent
Morphology Leaves
Leaves usually more or less fleshy, entire, alternate or sometimes opposite, sessile, narrow, sometimes scale-like
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers axillary, solitary or fascicled, subtended by relatively large bracteoles, hermaphrodite
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx (4-) 5-partite, the lobes almost always each developing in fruit a scarious horizontally spreading wing above the middle
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 5, sometimes fewer
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigmas 2, very rarely 3
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit with membranous or somewhat fleshy pericarp
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Endosperm absent. Embryo spiral Seeds normally “horizontal” (i.e. vertically compressed); testa membranous
[FTEA]

Chenopodiaceae, J. P. M. Brenan. Flora Zambesiaca 9:1. 1988

Morphology General Habit
Annual or more often perennial herbs or shrubs, usually pubescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves usually more or less fleshy, entire, alternate or sometimes opposite, sessile, narrow, often scale-like, sometimes linear-subulate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers axillary, solitary or fascicled, sometimes aggregated in a spiciform way towards ends of branchlets, subtended by two relatively large bracteoles, hermaphrodite.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Perianth (4) 5-partite, the lobes nearly always each developing in fruit above the middle a scarious horizontally spreading wing.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 5, rarely fewer.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigmas 2, very rarely 3.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit with membranous or somewhat fleshy pericarp.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Endosperm absent. Embryo spiral. Seeds normally “horizontal”(i.e. vertically compressed); testa membranous.
[FZ]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Herbs or shrubs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate (rarely opposite), sessile, entire
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Flowers usually solitary in leaf axils (sometimes in heads or spikes), subtended by 2 bracteoles, bisexual, (4–)5-merous; perianth-segments ± scarious, each usually developing a prominent transverse wing in fruit; stamens 5, anthers sometimes with appendages; stigmas 2, ± linear, with or without style
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits Fruiting calyx
Fruiting perianth with ± membranous, non-indurated lower part (or if indurated then bracts and bracteoles of similar texture); bottom of perianth rounded or tapering
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Utricle included within persistent perianth, subglobose, often with thicker upper part
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed subglobose, horizontal; testa membranous; embryo in conical spiral.
Distribution
Over 120 species, most numerous in the drier parts of Asia, especially towards Iran, extending into Europe and N Africa and with a secondary centre in southern Africa.
[FSOM]

Ghazanfar, S. A. & Edmondson, J. R (Eds). (2016) Flora of Iraq, Volume 5 Part 1: Elatinaceae to Sphenocleaceae.

Morphology General Habit
Annuals or subshrubs, glabrous or with papillae
Morphology Leaves
Leaves mostly alternate, or lower leaves arranged opposite, semi-terete or terete, stuff or (lower leaves) fleshy, with a persistent mucro to 3.5–4 mm
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts longer than bracteoles or equal in size
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers axillary, solitary or 2–3 in clusters
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Perianth segments 5, hyaline or membranous, in the fruiting stage sometimes hardened, mostly with tubercules or equal or uinequal wings
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 5, without prominent appendages at the tip of the anthers
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigmas 2
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit dry; seed with horizontal embryo; perisperm lost.
Distribution
About 12 species in Eurasia and Australia, some species are alien noxious weeds in North America. Previously included in the genus Salsola.
Etymology
Kali, from medieval Lat. kalium, Potassium.
[FIQ]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Flora of Iraq

    • Ghazanfar, S. A., Edmondson, J. R. (Eds). (2013-2019). Flora of Iraq, Volumes 5.1, 5.2 and 6.0. Kew Publishing
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0