Salsola auricula Moq. ß acutifolia Moq., Chenopod. Monogr. 136. 1840.

Erect subshrub, up to 90 cm, glabrous, rarely hispidulous. Woody branches pale brown, rarely brown-gey. Annual branches olive-green-greyish, glaucous, partly reddish, striate. Leaves 0-2 mm decurrent, flat, lanceolate, lanceolate-triangular or lanceolate-ovate, with whitish mid-rib and distinct narrow membranous margins; lower ones 10-49 x 2.5-11 mm, upper 3.5-10 x 2-9 mm. Flowers on main as well as the lateral branches, 1-19 mm distant. Bracts of lower flowers similar to leaves, 6-26 x 3-10 mm, bracts of upper flowers scale-like, 2-5 x 2-6 mm. Bracteoles scale-like, in lower flowers 2-4 x 1.7-3.8 mm, higher up 1.5-3 x 1.5-3.6 mm, triangular-ovate or triangular-cordate. Tepals 3.3-4.6 mm long. Anthers 2-3.2 mm long, appendage rounded or acutish. Disc with small semi-circular interstaminal lobes. Style in fruit ovoid to dome-shaped. Stigmas apically truncate denticulate. Fruit 12-20 mm in diam.; tube pits deep, furrow-like, linear, ± curved or rarely very narrowly ovate; wings in or above the middle. Tepal lobes keeled, forming a cone, apically often spreading.

Fl. Per.: April-June (August).

Holotype: (Persia) P.M.R. Aucher-Eloy 2956 (P); isotype (G).

Distribution: Iran, S.W.Afghanistan, Pakistan (Baluchistan), doubtfully reported from Turkmenistan.