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: 

o        not a true thistle—is not in Asteraceae Family

o        summer annual, with very narrow leaves that stiffen as they mature, seeming to be spine-like

o        has rounded, much branched growth habit, growing 1-3’ tall; stems have reddish striping similar to lambsquarters

o        becomes a tumbleweed when breaks off from root after dieback in fall

o        produces abundant seeds

o        serious problem in agronomic crops and overgrazed pastures; also found on roadsides, non-crop land

o        seldom seen in southwest Missouri, but very common in Kansas and further west &  north