Salsola vermiculata

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 223. 1753.

Common names: Mediterranean saltwort Damascus saltwort
WeedyIntroducedIllustrated
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 403. Mentioned on page 399, 400.

Subshrubs, 20–70 (–100) cm, densely brownish pubescent (especially when young) with smooth and minutely denticulate (barbellate or branched) hairs, sometimes becoming glabrous at maturity. Stems erect, branched at woody base; branches erect or ascending, virgate. Leaves alternate, bearing several reduced, ca. 1–4 mm leaves in their axils; blade lanceolate, 5–8 × 0.5–1 mm, fleshy, expanding into ovate base (gibbous), apex obtuse, usually pubescent. Inflorescences not interrupted, primary-axis sometimes paniculately branched, 1-flowered (rarely 2–3-flowered); bracts alternate, not imbricate, not reflexed, base gibbous, apex obtuse, usually densely pubescent. Flowers: bracteoles distinct, free, perianth segments winged at maturity, apex conic, sparsely pubescent above wings (especially apically) sometimes becoming glabrous; fruiting perianth (including wings) 7–10 (–12) mm diam. 2n =18.


Phenology: Flowering spring–summer.
Habitat: Rocky slopes, clay soils, disturbed places
Elevation: ca. 1000 m

Distribution

Introduced; Calif., Eurasia (Mediterranean region and arid regions of sw Asia), n Africa

Discussion

Salsola vermiculata is a locally persistent, escaped weed. It was reported naturalized near an abandoned experimental plot in San Luis Obispo County (possibly also in Kern County), where it was previously tested as a potential forage plant introduced from Syria in 1969. Salsola vermiculata sensu lato is designated as a federal noxious weed by the United States Department of Agriculture (R. G. Westbrooks 1993). It is so far the only perennial species of Salsola introduced to North America. Together with related Eurasian and African taxa, it should probably be segregated into a separate genus, Caroxylon Thunberg (N. N. Tzvelev 1993).

Salsola vermiculata sensu lato is a taxonomically complicated and morphologically polymorphic complex. North American material most probably belongs to S. damascena Botschantzev (V. P. Botschantzev 1975, 1975b). It fits the protologue and the type specimen deposited at LE, but additional study and comparison with other Eurasian “microspecies” are necessary. Some of these taxa remain little known and poorly understood taxonomically.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Salsola vermiculata"
subspinescent +
conic +  and obtuse +
Sergei L. Mosyakin +
Linnaeus +
slippery +
aromatic +
gibbous +  and ovate +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
lanceolate +
expanding +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
not imbricate +  and alternate +
persistent +  and deciduous +
not reflexed +
ovatelanceolate +
reddish-brown +, black +, brown +  and green +
free +  and distinct +
ascending +  and erect +
Mediterranean saltwort +  and Damascus saltwort +
Calif. +, Eurasia (Mediterranean region and arid regions of sw Asia) +  and n Africa +
ca. 1000 m +
symmetric +, or +  and uniseriate +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
Rocky slopes, clay soils, disturbed places +
denticulate +
reduced +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
not winged +  and winged +
lobed +  and serrate-dentate +
inferior +, half-inferior +  and superior +
crassinucellate +  and bitegmic +
campylotropous +
1 +  and single +
papery +  and chartaceous +
Flowering spring–summer. +
1-flowered +  and branched +
pointing +  and ascending +
basal +, median +  and position +
bulbous +  and taprooted +
fusiform +
fleshy +  and fibrous +
brown +  and black +
verrucate +  and striate +
reddish-brown +, brown +  and black +
orbicular +
Weedy +, Introduced +  and Illustrated +
cylindric +
opposite +  and alternate +
not fleshy +
sessile +  and petiolate +
reduced;small +
horizontal +  and vertical +
verrucate +
Salsola vermiculata +
species +
70 cm700 mm <br />0.7 m <br /> (100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br />) +
glabrous +  and pubescent +
polygamous +, dioecious +  and monoecious +
coriaceous +  and membranous +