Russian Thistle Salsola iberica (S.kali, S. pestifer)
Plant
Early Flowers
Stems & Leaves
Late-season Flowers
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Family: Chenopodiaceae, Goosefoot Family
Annual
Plant Size: Generally less than 4' (1.2 M) in our area.
Blooms in: Summer/Fall
Habitat Preferred: Disturbed ground primarily, land that has been scraped clean of native flora, cleared lots, roadsides.
Photo(s) taken at: Peck's lake
Bloom Color: White or pinkish
Other Common Names: Tumbleweed
Origin: Russian
Comments: A pest weed, for sure, this plant was imported many years ago accidentally to the Dakotas and has been with us since. The prickly plants dry up in the winter and break off at the ground to form wind-swept "tumbleweeds" that scatter their seeds as they go.
Further Reference & Sources: "Arizona Flora", Kearney, Peebles, et. al., Univ. of California Press, 1951 w/1960 supp.; "A Field Guide to the Plants of Arizona", Anne Orth Epple, 1995, Falcon Press
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