Saltwort

• Plant Type: Annual herb.
• Common Name: Saltwort, Russian-thistle, Tumbleweed, Glasswort.
• Color: Greenish to white.
• Flower Dimensions: 0.16-0.31 inches in diameter.
• Flowering Seasons/Months: July to October.
• Desert with Saltwort: Gobi.

Saltwort is an annual herb from the Amaranth family. It is a low herb that can grow to 5-50 cm tall.

• The stems of the Saltwort are erect. The young stems are red or purple with stripes.
• The Saltw0rt is highly branched. The branches of the plant are arcuate. Other branches are almost prostrate.
• The leaves of the Saltwort are fleshy, simple, lobed or unlobed, and alternate. The leaf blades are entire. The leaves are 1-2 mm wide.
• The flowers of the Saltwort are radially symmetrical and possess 5 tepals fused into a cup or tube. Usually, there is one flower per axil of the bract.

• Salsola^[1] comes from the Latin Salsus, which means “salty, ” and kali means ashes of a sodium-rich plant.
• The prickly Saltwort is not a halophyte. The plant prefers sand further from the shore.
• Saltwort contains 5% oxalic acid^[2]. Therefore, this plant must be eaten in moderation because oxalic acid can lead to nutritional deficiencies.
• The stem extracts of Salsola kali^[3] are found to have effective antimicrobial activity against many human pathogens.
• In Europe and North America, the pollen inhalation of Salsola kali^[4] is a common cause of respiratory diseases. Research using the modified vaccine of S. kali pollen is proven effective and safe in treating patients with pollen sensitivity.