Salsola grandis

Koca soda

Annual, 10-100 cm, erect, robust, in fresh condition greyish green, glabrous. Stem stout, pale green or purplish. Leaves alternate except for lowermost pairs, linear to narrow lanceolate, stiff, succulent, 2-7 cm long, at sheathing base up to 5 mm wide, in cross section obtusely triangular, with a 0,2-0,4 mm long weak mucro. Inflorescences many, terminating stem and branches as dense spikes. Bracts leaf-like, upwards gradually shorter, uppermost ovate. Bracteoles slightly longer than flowers, with recurved apices. Flowers solitary, 2,5-3 mm long, stigmas and anthers exserted; tepals ovate, with a large green blotch above the transverse line, outer 5-7-veined, inner 3-veined. Anthers divided for 2/5-1/12. 1.3-1.5 mm long including 0.2-0.25 mm long appendage. Ovary ovoid. style 0.5-0.7 mm, stigmas 2-2,5 mm, papillose all round. Fruiting perianth 14-17 mm diam, with large, unequal, overlapping, straw-coloured wings, perianth tube hardened in lower part, basal plate with a peripheral rim and 5 deep circular pits. Seed  horizontal, 1.5-1.7 mm high, at top 2.2-3.5 mm diam, Fl. 6-7. A xerohalophytic colonizer of raw marly substrates containing gypsum and other soluble salts. 45-550 m.

Endemic. Ir.-Tur. element.