Salsola inermis, Unarmed Saltwort,
מלחית חומה

Scientific name:		Salsola inermis Forssk.
Common name:		Unarmed Saltwort
Hebrew name:		מלחית חומה
Family:		Chenopodiaceae, סלקיים

Life form:		Therophyte, annual
Succulence:		Leaf succulent
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

Derivation of the botanical name: Salsola, Latin salsus, salty. inermis, unarmed, weaponless, defenseless; toothless; stingless; not spiny. The Hebrew name: מלחית, milchit, saltwort, salsola, formed from מלח, melach (=salt), with suffix ית, it. 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.