Salsola inermis, Unarmed Saltwort,
מלחית חומה
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| | Scientific name: |
| Salsola inermis Forssk. |
| Common name: |
| Unarmed Saltwort |
| Hebrew name: |
| מלחית חומה |
| Family: |
| Chenopodiaceae, סלקיים |
Date Picture Taken: October 14, 2007
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| | Life form: |
| Therophyte, annual |
| Leaves: |
| Alternate, scale |
| Flowers: |
| Green |
| Flowering Period: |
| July, August, September |
| Habitat: |
| Shrub-steppes, Desert, Salty habitats |
| Distribution: |
| Semi-steppe shrublands, Shrub-steppes, Deserts and extreme deserts |
| Chorotype: |
| Saharo-Arabian |
| Summer shedding: |
| Ephemeral |
Date Picture Taken: October 14, 2007
Derivation of the botanical name:
Salsola, Latin salsus, salty.
inermis, unarmed, weaponless, defenseless; toothless; stingless; not spiny..
- The standard author abbreviation Forssk. is used to indicate Peter Forsskål (1732 – 1763), a Swedish explorer, orientalist and naturalist.
In Israel, there are 12 species of Salsola, including 6 annuals, 5 perennials, and 1 species which may be annual or a perennial. Nine species inhabit the Saharo-Arabian phytogeographic region and one species (Salsola crassa) inhabit the Irano-Turanian region. The Salsola inermis and the Salsola vermiculata inhabit the Saharo-Arabian region and also the Irano-Turanian region. Salsola baryosma inhabits the Sudanian and the Saharo-Arabian regions. Salsola soda and Salsola kali are pluriregional species.
Salsola inermis germinates in the deserts of Israel at the beginning of the growing season. Based on the amount of rain, germination takes place from December to March. Mass germination takes place after heavy rain, mainly in disturbed areas, where the soil crust was removed or damaged, and in cracks in the soil crust. The seeds can germinate in very small amounts, even in the summer, when the amount of water in the soil is sufficient.
Date Picture Taken: October 14, 2007
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