An annual Dicot, Salsola Kali is part of the Chenopodiaceae family and was introduced to the United States. It’s thought to mostly have come from Russia in grain shipments in the late 1870’s. Salsola originates from the Latin sallere, "to salt," referring to the plant’s salt tolerance. It is often considered to be a noxious species, out-competing many native plants, specifically desert wildflowers.
Most everyone would recognize a mature Russian Thistle, imaging a tan-colored skeleton of a normal shrub and ranging from the size of a soccer ball to even a small vehicle. But, not all would discern a juvenile plant as the same, with displays of bright green, succulent, grass-like shoots (usually with red or purple stripes). Subtle green flowers emerge from axils of upper leaves, each accompanied by a pair of spiny bracts. These tender shoots provide food for bighorn sheep, pronghorn and mice.
The seeds (numbering about 250,000 per plant) of Salsola Kali are quite different in that they lack any protective coat or food reserves. To survive, each seed is a coiled, embryonic plant wrapped up in a thin membrane. It will not germinate until certain conditions are met, keeping itself protected from winter. Temperatures from 28 to 110 Fahrenheit are sufficient, but falling moisture must be present. The seed will then quickly propel two need-like leaves skyward. The plant will flower in July and September, will be mature by autumn and then begin to dry out. The break between plant and root, when it is time to “tumble” and spread new seeds, is accommodated by a specialized layer of cells.
Uses
As long as they are not too high in oxalic acids or nitrites, young plants serve as useful fodder. Tumbleweed has been suggested as a fuel source for arid lands since it is a low-water-use plant, germinating quickly on minimally disturbed soils, and relatively free of parasites and diseases. Even in Biblical times, this was one of several plants burned to make soap. Soap made in this fashion is still traded at Mediterranean ports. With high alkali content, the plant has also been used in making glass. Lastly, Salsolin in the plant has been used to regulate blood pressure.
Region and Habitat
Elevation range is from below sea level (such as in Death Valley) to over 8500 feet. Being native to the arid steppes of the Russian Ural Mountains, now every mainland state contains Tumbleweed to some degree (Utah being higher on that list with wide distribution). Growth is accommodated best in disturbed soils such as fields that have been flattened for agriculture. Such fields provide good means for the Russian Thistle to “tumble” and spread its seeds. Other examples would include irrigation canals, roadside shoulders, ditches, sand dunes and washes. They especially increase their geographic ranges with every wet winter. Salsola Kali is reported to tolerate annual precipitation of 2.6 to 9.7 dm, an annual temperature of 9.2 to 23.8°C, and pH of 7.0 to 7.9.
Genealogy
| Kingdom | Plantae – Plants |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta – Vascular plants |
| Superdivision | Spermatophyta – Seed plants |
| Division | Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants |
| Class | Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons |
| Subclass | Caryophyllidae – |
| Order | Caryophyllales – |
| Family | Chenopodiaceae – Goosefoot family |
| Genus | Salsola L. – Russian thistle |
| Species | Salsola tragus (or kali) L. – prickly Russian thistle |