Russian thistle is least noticed when it is young - slender, green and soft - and most noticed when it's a large, spiny, brown tumbleweed. Many people develop skin rashes and assorted other reactions after exposure to the plant. [16] Secondly, in a season in which the Kali growth has been heavy, high winds often accumulate shocking tangles of the tumbleweeds, covering entire buildings or trapping vehicles so completely as to prevent unaided escape, particularly in the event that the dry material ignites. Prickly Russian Thistle Salsola tragus L. kingdom Plantae - plants » divisio Magnoliophyta - flowering plants » class Rosopsida - eudicots » order Caryophyllales » family Amaranthaceae » genus Salsola - Russian thistle LIVE. Russian thistle is a bushy summer annual with numerous slender ascending stems that become quite woody at maturity. Prickly Russian Thistle Trichuriella monsoniae Aerva monsoniae, Trichurus monsoniae, Illecebrum monsoniae ... Name also: Russian Thistle, Prickly Glasswort, Tumbleweed, Glasswort Latin synonym: Salsola kali, Salsola turgidum Family: Amaranth Family - Amaranthaceae (formerly Goosefoot Family - Chenopodiaceae) Growing form: Annual herb. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race color, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation in its programs and activities. Play. The best solution is to establish desirable species to out compete this invasive. Valenzuela, Mario. add example. Frustratingly however, the plant in the wild is very variable; apart from its intrinsic genetic variability, invasive populations have hybridised extensively with other species of Kali that apparently were imported at the same time, and to some extent the genus hybridises in the countries of its origin as well. Many goats and some breeds of sheep such as karakul browse the bushes. Salsola kalidominates areas during drought conditions or whencompeting vegetation is removed. [17], One of the unwelcome attributes of Kali tragus is that it commonly presents a fire hazard, firstly because it is flammable once it is thoroughly dry, partly as a result of its nitrate content, which may be very high, sometimes over 6% dry weight. Densely branched from base upward, growing ½ to 4 feet tall. A Northern Nevada Homeowner’s Guide to Identifying and Managing Russian Thistle, Fact sheets for 35 invasive plant species that are prevalent in northern Arizona. Recent studies show that the population that once was assigned to Salsola tragus really includes three or more morphologically similar species that differ in flower size and shape. A Northern Nevada Homeowner’s Guide to Identifying and Managing Russian Thistle University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, Russian Thistle University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources – IPM Pests in Gardens and Landscapes, Russian Thistle University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources – IPM Weed Gallery. Depending on the plant's genetics and condition, the leaves and stems may be green, red, or striped, and they may be hairless or pubescent. Do not let them bloom and go to seed. ruthenica, Salsola ruthenica), inflorescence, Germany. [21], Some species also are harvested for the extraction of compounds such as the alkaloid “salsolin”, used in the preparation of certain pharmaceuticals. [4][11], However, even early publications did concede that the plant is of value as a forage in severely arid conditions where few other forage species are viable. It quickly takes over a habitat of native plants, reducing plant diversity very important to wildlife and pollinators. When the plant is dead and the mycorrhizae have consumed what they can of its remains, they spread out and infect more plants, beneficially to most desirable grasses and forbs, but to the disadvantage of most of the Kali that had been occupying the soil. [5], Kali tragus has proven to be highly invasive as an introduced species and rapidly became a common ruderal weed of disturbed habitats in many regions of North America, particularly in the Midwest. Salsola tragus is the most widespread of eight species of this non-native genus to have become established in the US, after being introduced in the 1870s. Where our fundamental truths inform every decision we make. It is not yet clear that Kali would be a useful species for commercial phytoextraction, either for phytoremediation or for phytomining, but there are genetic variables that could, in principle, be selected for. A Preliminary Note on Pollination in the Chenopodiaceae. Note that the high values in the list differ from the corresponding low values by factors ranging from a little over 2 in the case of acid-detergent fiber, to more than 60 for nitrate content. Although it is the best-known of this group of weeds, and was at first thought to be a single well-defined... Habitat. Considered very invasive, Salsola kali competes with native species and obstructs stream channels, roadways, andcan become a fire hazard. Salinity effects of forage quality of Russian Thistle. 68, No. The generic name Salsola means salty, while kali refers to ashes, in allusion to a sodium rich plant. Although prickly like a thistle, Prickly Russian Thistle is not a true thistle. Above the ground, any dead Kali plants that remain standing provide shade that favours other plants' seedlings; Kali plants themselves on the other hand are highly intolerant of shade, being very much adapted to open, barren soil. Such processes have been studied in Kali for all those ions,[15] and others such as iron and cobalt. We are focused. Salsola kali is a host plant of the sugarbeet leafhopper. Copyright © 2016-document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Coconino County All Rights Reserved, Characteristic striped stem of Russian thistle. Fowler, James L. Hageman, James H. Moore, Kenneth J. Suzukida, Margaret. The Russian Thistle. This plant and the related entities and synonyms italicized and indented above can be weedy or invasive according to the authoritative sources noted below.This plant may be known by one or more common names in … Kali tragus is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae. Common name(s): Russian thistle, prickly Russian thistle, tumbleweed. Prickly Russian Thistle Salsola tragus subsp. Botanical description: Large, bushy plant with an over-all round shape. Population can be eliminated within 2 to 3 years of diligent work. However, in spite of the associated difficulties, the plants' genetic variability does imply opportunities for genetic improvement. Washington Government Printing Office, 1894, Orloff, S. B.; Cudney, D. W.; Elmore, C. L.; DiTomaso, J. M. Pest Notes: Russian Thistle UC ANR Publication 7486. They only remain to enrich, mulch and aerate it. One could select say, lines rich in protein, but without spines. Pronghorn eat it with reluctance in drought conditions, but feed on it avidly under rainy conditions, especially in wet years. The dry tumbleweed material also has been used as a mulch on replanted coal mine spoils in Arizona.[7]. Pre-emergence herbicides can also be used. Salsola Tragus, Prickly Russian Thistle. Seed-eating birds and small mammals such as rodents feed on the seeds. Often its presence is beneficial, especially when the original topsoil still is present; the species happens not to be host to any mycorrhizal fungi, whereas many or most common plants in fact are so adapted. When young it may be grazed freely, but that phase lasts for only a brief period, and generally at a time when other forage is relatively plentiful. Assadian, Hamid. [7], Some livestock species such as camels and some breeds of stock that are adapted to semi-desert conditions will brave the spines when forage becomes scarce. One reason is that as they mature most varieties become too spiny and woody for most stock to browse. The flower lacks petals, but is surrounded by a disk of wide, winged sepals, whitish to pink in color. [19] Furthermore, fertilisation in this genus plus most species in the entire family is at least partly by wind pollination,[20] and in some regions their pollen load may represent up to 5% of the total pollen load, causing many allergic sensitizations. [7], The plant when young is considered edible, and the shoots of young plants can be harvested and eaten. The leaves are tipped with spines that in most varieties are so sharp that the plants are best handled with gloves and other suitably protective clothing, though some genetic variants have only a hair at the tip. Seeds are scattered for miles. Mature early to late summer. Growing the plant in environments too saline for most other forage species, even high enough to stress the Kali, actually increases some of its merits as a forage. It germinates rapidly even in very small amounts of moisture in arid conditions. Linnaeus originally described the species as Salsola tragus. Young plants are also reported as good fodder for livestock. An ignited tumbleweed may spread a fire across firebreaks and may even ignite buildings or structures that it stops against. Article Stable URL: Carnés, J., Fernández-Caldas, E., Marina, A., Alonso, C., Lahoz, C., Colás, C. and Lezaun, A. Control strategies: Hand pull, starting when seedlings are about 1½ to 2 inches tall. Blackwell, Will H.; Powell, Martha J. Consequently, it now occupies a wide variety of habitats. Viability is short. In habit, the young plant is erect, but it grows into a rounded clump of branched, tangled stems, each one up to about a metre long. prickly Russian thistle : German - English translations and synonyms (BEOLINGUS Online dictionary, TU Chemnitz) [4], A large specimen of Kali tragus may produce some 200,000 seeds. We have cultivated a deliberate foresight with our brand supporters values driving our adaptability. Asia, Europe : Appearance Salsola tragus is an annual herb that can grow to 4 ft. (1.2 m) tall. Commonly these are ions of heavy metals, such as cadmium (Cd(II)), chromium (both Cr(III) and Cr(VI)), lead (Pb(II)), arsenic (both As(III) and As(V)), copper (Cu(II)), nickel (Ni(II)), and zinc (Zn(II)). Pause. It certainly accumulated lead and arsenic very actively and also chromium in the most toxic hexavalent form. [9][10], Kali tragus is a ruderal annual forb. Tumbleweed, near the entrance to Peekaboo Gulch, slot canyon, just off and about half way along the Hole in the Rock Road, Grand Escalante Staircase National Monument (Reduced by 47% by President Trump in 2017) Russian thistle. In wildfire conditions in open country, strong winds often blows burning tumbleweeds across firebreaks, frustrating standard fire control measures. There will also be a list of synonyms for your answer. A single plant can produce 200,000 seeds and can be easily spread by vehicles and equipment. The presence of tetraploids and hexaploids improves the prospects for new variants to be established in the population. Stems … Such considerations have led some workers to recommend that the plant be actively exploited for its very attractive merits. [7], Kali tragus and many related species, including some that are widely regarded as invasive weeds in other countries, are valued in their regions of origin. Many insects feed on the leaves, stems, flowers and seeds, while some songbirds also feed on thistle seeds. Kali proved to be an active absorber of all those ions, plus some others, and it may well be a hyperaccumulator of both copper and cadmium. The unpredictability of the merits of wild strains may frustrate farmers who have tried the species and found that seeds from wild plants do not produce Kali crops that live up to their hopes, so they tend to abandon the attempts. Native thistle provide important habitat and food sources for native fauna. For example, rumen flora in ruminants metabolise nitrate and oxalate profitably at modest concentrations, but if the concentration overwhelms their metabolic capacity, the unprocessed ions may poison livestock. UC Statewide IPM Program, University of California, Davis, CA 95616. Although the plant feels prickly like a thistle, it is really not a thistle. As already noted, in many regions the plant passes through its most palatable and vulnerable phase before the need for forage begins to become more pressing. On the young plant, leaves may be more than 5 cm long, succulent and more or less cylindrical; these juvenile leaves are deciduous and drop off as the plant matures. It is native to It is native to arid and semi-arid ecosystems in southeastern Europe to Central Asia (probably also partly in northern Africa). Flowers lack true petals, but petal-like sepals are small, translucent, greenish-white, with pink to deep red veins, sometimes white. It is a minor forage component for bison, mule deer, and wapiti. In that state the base of the stem breaks off easily, particularly in a high wind. In the axil of the mature leaf, there are two leaf-like bracts with a flower between them. In disturbed sites with no topsoil and therefore few or no mycorrhizae, the Kali population may remain dominant for over a decade. Russian Thistle (Salsola tragus L.) Control on Bighorn Sheep Winter Ranges in Jasper National Park. RUSSIAN THISTLE. [6] It now occupies a wide variety of habitat types in those regions and often is the first or even the only colonizer in conditions where no local species can compete successfully. People who have adverse reactions to eating spinach, which also can have high levels of oxalates, should avoid consumption of Russian thistle. As the plant matures, leaves become short, scale-like, and tipped with stiff spine. Where it grows: Roadsides, over-grazed areas, semi-desert areas, deserts, in loose or disturbed soils at elevations up to 8,000 feet. The plant then rolls readily before the wind and disperses its seeds as a tumbleweed. Tim M. Antill, M. Anne Naeth, Edward W. Bork, and Alan L. Westhaver. Tumbleweed, tumbling thistle, prickly russian thistle. In those regions annual Kali species are known as "solyanki"; they are important as drought- and salt-tolerant forage and form a dominant group in the flora and vegetation of the most challenging environments. It is known by various common names such as prickly Russian thistle, windwitch, or common saltwort. It is widely known simply as tumbleweed because in many regions of the United States, it is the most common and most conspicuous plant species that produces tumbleweeds. Created by the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Coconino County, and the Flagstaff chapter of the Arizona Native Plant Society.The University of Arizona is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution. Medium-sized deer species make some use of it, but it is mainly of value to small mammals and bird species that normally live close to the ground and shelter under bushes. Seeds germinate rapidly with or without much rainfall. When green, the plant grows long, upward and outward stretching stems that curl up into a large ball or basket (3 to 4 ft diameter) as they dry out. Analysis of Russian thistle (Salsola species) selections for factors affecting forage nutritional value. Aster family ) very actively and also chromium in the population valuable prospects for variants!, leaves become short, scale-like, and wapiti the best-known of group! Apex and are reported to be a list of synonyms for your answer the Amaranthaceae. 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