Salsola longifolia Forssk.
S. sieberi C. Presl, S. sinaica Brullo, S. oppositifolia sensu Sieber ex Moq.
Ara.: Semoned, semmumed, bu jmira, suid, hedeid (Egypt).
Small shrub, hermaphrodite, 20-60 cm in height, with erect or ascending stems. Leaves 5-25(30) × 1.2 mm, opposite, on the top of the stems rarely alternate or subopposite, glabrous, linear-lanceolate, fleshy, canaliculate on the upper side, somewhat widened at the base and acute or mucronate at the apex. Flowers solitary at the bract axil, opposite along the spiciform inflorescence. Bracts opposite, similar to the leaves to but smaller, 3-3.5 mm; bracteoles 1.5-2 mm, ovate, acute. Perianth white-yellowish, with free segments 2.5-3.5 × 1.5 mm, ovate to oblong with rounded or obtuse apex; stamens 2.5 mm, shorter than the perianth; staminoids present. Fruit perianth 1-1.5 cm in diameter including the membranous wings, which each are about 5-6 mm wide, slightly overlapping.
Flowering:
April to September.
Fruiting:
About 2 months after Flowering.
Habitat:
Usually on calcareous soils, in dry or semiarid environments. It may even grow in depressions of arid environments.
Distribution:
Mediterranean coastal and subcoastal areas of Libya and Egypt.
Observations:
This is a difficult species taxonomically, which has traditionally been confused in North Africa with S. sieberi, S. oppositifolia and S. verticillata. Within this same group, characterised by leaves always opposite, cylindrical or subcylindrical, staminoids present and a clear nectariferous disc, many other taxa have been described that require further study. Among these, the following are mentioned here because of their subshrubby appearance: S. cruciata L. Chevall. ex Batt. —endemic to Algeria—, glaucous shrub with upright stems up to 2 m, flowers solitary and very small floral perianth (up to 2 mm) which forms short wings (up to 4.5 mm), not overlapping, in the fruit; S. cyrenaica (Maire & Weiller) Brullo —endemic to Libya—, subshrub up to 1 m, glaucous with flowers in axillary groups of 3-10 and perianth segments with a laciniate apex, with staminoids of retuse apex; S. schweinfurthii Solms —from northern Egypt, Sinai Peninsula, Palestine and Arabian Peninsula—, subshrub up to 60 cm similar to the latter, differentiated by elliptical and entire perianth segments, not laciniate, wider, with bracteoles of membranous margin. We should also mention S. gymnomaschala Maire -that grows in western Sahara, from the Sus river mouth (Morocco) up to northern Mauritania-, shrub up to 2 m with solitary flowers characterised by having globose or subglobose bracts smaller than the perianth, bracteoles with a retuse apex and perianth segments with a crescent-shaped dorsal keel and uneven wings in the fruit. S. verticillata Schousb., endemic to western Morocco between Agadir and Essauira, is very similar to the latter but smaller in size (up to 1 m) and with semicylindrical and apiculate bracts, longer than the perianth, with acute bracteoles and ovoid perianth. Finally, there have been other species described in this group, but generally they do not exceed 30 cm in height. Among these, S. zygophylla Batt. -western northern Sahara, in Morocco (reaching almost to the Mediterranean to the NE), Algeria and Tunisia)-, differentiated from the rest by its larger leaves and alternate bracts, as well as a very small perianth. S. tunetana Brullo, with solitary flowers in the leaf axil and opposite leaves and bracts, has been excluded due its small size. For more information on this complex group please refer to Brullo (1982).
Conservation status:
All these species are somewhat common and in principle they are not considered threatened. Currently, they have not been assessed at a global level on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. In the Livre Rouge de la flore vasculaire du Maroc (Fennane, 2021) S. verticillata has been considered as Critically Endangered (CR) and S. zygophylla as Endangered (EN).
Legend:
Salsola longifolia Salsola cruciata Salsola cyrenaica Salsola gymnosmaschala Salsola schweinfourtii Salsola verticillata Salsola zygophylla
