About Salsola paulsenii Litv.
Nomenclature and Classification
Salsola paulsenii Litv., also known by the synonym Kali paulsenii, is a flowering plant species in the amaranth family. Its common name is barbwire Russian thistle.
Distribution and Habitat
It is native to Eurasia, and has been introduced to the American southwest, where it grows as an introduced species and sometimes a weed in sandy, disturbed habitat types.
Growth Form and Stems
This species is an annual herb that grows a brambly clump of intricately branched stems, which range from prostrate to erect and reach up to one meter in length. Its reddish stems are lined with yellow-green, thready, fleshy or needle-like, spine-tipped leaves, that measure a few millimeters to three centimeters long.
Inflorescence and Flower Structure
Its inflorescence is an interrupted series of flowers, with one flower growing per leaf axil. Each flower is surrounded by a disclike arrangement of wide, winged sepals that are whitish at their tips and pinkish at their bases.
Etymology
Salsola paulsenii is named for Ove Paulsen, a Danish botanist and explorer.
Related Species and Hybridization
This plant is similar to Salsola tragus, which has the synonym Kali tragus, and the two species sometimes form hybrids together.
