Salsola Arbuscula

a divaricate-branching shrub of the Goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae). The leaves of the Salsola arbuscula are narrow, linear, semiterete, and pulpy. The shrub has a solitary flower in each leaf axil, which is usually gathered into a spicate or spicate-paniculate inflorescence. It is found in Central and Southwest Asia; in the USSR it is common in Middle Asia and the lower reaches of the Volga. The plant usually grows on salinated detritus and sandy soils and in deserts and semideserts. It serves as winter forage for sheep and other animals; camels eat the S. arbuscula the year round. Local populations use it as firewood and also for tanning hides.