Russian Thistle

Russian Thistle

Salsola kali L.

Chenopodiaceae (Goosefoot Family)

▲ ▼ seedling, young plant

▲ seedling

▲ ▼ young, maturing plants

▲ ▼ mature plants

▲ striped stems

▲ ▼ spiny leaves form as plant begins flowering

Russian Thistle:

not a true thistle--is not in Asteraceae Family
summer annual, with very narrow leaves that stiffen as they mature, seeming to be spine-like
has rounded, much branched growth habit, growing 1-3’ tall; stems have reddish striping similar to lambsquarters
becomes a tumbleweed when breaks off from root after dieback in fall
produces abundant seeds
serious problem in agronomic crops and overgrazed pastures; also found on roadsides, non-crop land
seldom seen in southwest Missouri, but very common in Kansas and further west & north