Salsola paulsenii

Barbwire russian thistle

Family: Chenopodiaceae · Type: annual · Not Native

Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes

Barbwire russian thistle is a naturalized annual found in northern Transverse Ranges in the southeastern Cuyama Valley and desert regions at elevations below 1,000 meters in sandy, disturbed places. Flowering from July to October, this plant produces white to translucent flowers with spiny margins in cylindric inflorescences. Growing up to 1.5 meters tall with a cone-like shape, it develops branched stems that are longitudinally ribbed and occasionally red-striped. Its leaves transition from opposite to alternate, becoming leathery and yellow-green with a wider base, ranging from 5 to 32 millimeters long. The fruit develops distinctive translucent wings, with 3 to 5 wings that have pale veins and yellow to pink-spotted bases.

Habitat: Common. Sandy, disturbed places

Bloom period: Jul-Oct

Elevation: < 1000 m

Bioregions: n WTR (se Cuyama Valley), D

California counties: Inyo, Riverside, Kern, San Bernardino, Imperial, Mono, Modoc, Lassen, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Diego, Plumas

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.