You may not be familiar with Salsola Kali, but as children, we have all watched it on TV or in person.
Yes, I wager.
Do you recall those old westerns where a plant drifted in the breeze during a gun duel? That's the Salsola Kali, and for the simple reason that this plant is Russian in origin and wasn't brought to the United States until the late 1800s when it was smuggled in with several bundles of flax seeds from the Russian steppe, that scene never happened in the true Wild West. The moment they sowed that flax, chaos ensued! Salsola's renowned cinematic picture quickly spread like wildfire, filling the American deserts.
It builds up a lot of salt when it grows, especially on saline, dry, and sandy soils. For this reason, its ash was described in the Bible as being perfect for producing soap to wash clothes. Glass has lately been fashioned from the same ash.
These two applications have made it feasible to manage this nearly indestructible weed, which has been common throughout Europe for millennia. It is most commonly seen in dry, open places where the plant finds the ideal conditions for creating its magnificent evolutionary masterpiece. Every year when it dies, the base of the trunk weakens and it dries up, preserving up to 200,000 seeds in its branches.
The plant takes off into the sky as soon as the wind picks up, rolling like a perfectly round ball at a high speed. And wherever the wind brings it, a new Salsola will sprout as soon as the seed detects wetness.
It's easy to identify because it's covered in thorns. Because of its high oxalic acid content, no animal would dare consume it.
Recall that this is an invasive plant.
