Salsola foliosa (L.) Schrad.

Herbs annual, 20-40 cm tall. Stem erect, branched from base; branches gray-green, black-brown after drying, subfleshy, glabrous except slightly hairy in leaf axils. Leaves gray green, clavate, 1-2 cm × 1.5-2.5 mm, fleshy, glabrous, apex usually incurved, slightly inflated, obtuse. Flowers 3-5-glomerulate, borne throughout plant; bractlets broadly ovate, margin membranous, apex obtuse. Perianth (including wings) 5-7 mm in diam. in fruit; segments obovate or suborbicular, 0.8-1.1 mm, submembranous, abaxially with 1 protruding vein and winged from distal middle part; portion of segment above wing slightly curved, not enclosing utricle, broadly triangular, membranous, apex obtuse; wings yellow-brown, semiorbicular, subequal, margin entire. Anthers ca. 0.6 mm; appendage obscure. Style obscure; stigmas ca. 0.2 mm. Utricle berrylike, globose, juicy. Seed horizontal. Fl. Aug-Sep, fr. Sep-Oct.

Saline soils in deserts, semideserts. N Xinjiang [Mongolia, Russia (SW Siberia); C Asia, SW Asia (Caucasus), SE Europe].

Anabasis foliosa Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 223. 1753; Caspia foliosa (Linnaeus) Galushko; Neocaspia foliosa (Linnaeus) Tzvelev; Salsola clavifolia Pallas.