Salsola tragus – “Tumbleweed”

Also Known As: Russian-Thistle
Other Botanical Names: Kali tragus, Salsola kali subsp. tragus
Family: Goosefoot (Chenopodiaceae)
Bloom Period: Jul-Oct
Form: Annual herb
Habitat: Disturbed areas
Leaves: First leaves needle-like, deciduous and opposite; later leaves broader, narrowing to a thorned tip and alternate
Translation: “Salsola” is Latin for “salty,” which refers to the type of soil where it can grow; “tragus” might be from the Greek word “tragos” which is literally “goat” and figuratively a particular part of the ear, or it might be named for Hieronymous Tragus, the Greek name for Jerome Bock (1498-1554), a German physician, scholar, and botanist; how goats or Bock relate to this plant is not clear; “Kali,” along with the word, “alkali,” are derived from the Arabic “al qaly,” meaning “from Kali,” a place where plants such as the ones in this genus thrive.
Notes: One of the best known plants of the North American desert, but native to Eurasia. Accidentally introduced in the 1870’s in a shipment of flax seed from Russia that was contaminated with its seeds. At the end of its life-cycle, it is woody, brittle and easily breaks off at ground level in the wind, and then blows across the landscape, scattering seeds as it rolls along. Has potential as an effective agent for phytoremediation, the removal of toxic substances such as heavy metals from soil, which is convenient since it thrives in human-disturbed sites like that. Stems are easily recognized for their red and green stripes.
Native American Uses: The Navajo ate the seeds roasted, the young sprouts raw or cooked, and made a poultice of macerated leaves to treat insect stings.
Animal Associations: Young growth is tender and provides decent forage for Mule Deer and other grazing animals, but as the plant matures, the leaves become pointy and inedible. Food plant for larvae of the Western Pygmy-Blue butterfly. The shrubby late-stage plant provides shelter for small animals.