''Salsola oppositifolia'' is a halophyte shrub native to the Mediterranean Basin.

Description

This annual, woody plant can grow into shrubs up to 2 m tall. It has cylindrical-linear and opposed leaves. The flowers, which bloom from May to October, are hermphrodyte and have a size of 1 cm.

Taxonomy

''Salsola oppositifolia'' was first described by

René Louiche Desfontaines René Louiche Desfontaines (14 February 1750 – 16 November 1833) was a French botanist. Desfontaines was born near Tremblay, Ille-et-Vilaine , Tremblay in Brittany. He attended the Collège de Rennes and in 1773 went to Paris to study medi ...

and published in ''

Flora Atlantica Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring ( indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms ''gut flora'' or ''skin flora''. Et ...

'' 1: 219. 1798.

Uses

This plant has been historically used, along with other

Salsola ''Salsola'' is a genus of the subfamily Salsoloideae in the family Amaranthaceae. The genus ''sensu stricto'' is distributed in central and southwestern Asia, North Africa, and the Mediterranean. A common name of various members of this genus and ...

species, as a source of

soda ash Sodium carbonate, , (also known as washing soda, soda ash and soda crystals) is the inorganic compound with the formula Na2CO3 and its various hydrates. All forms are white, odourless, water-soluble salts that yield moderately alkaline solutions ...

, in the manufacture of lye and soaps.

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q6117491 Amaranthaceae Halophytes Industrial history Plants described in 1798 Barilla plants Flora of Algeria Flora of Spain Flora of Tunisia