Salsola boissieri

Boz soda

Low, very woody cushion plant. Stem shortly, crisply hairy and with longer hairs. Leaves 10-15 mm x 0.1 mm, linear, circular, somewhat broadened, long-hairy. Bracts and bracteoles strongly broadened at the base, subulate above, longer than the perianth, adpressed-hairy. Perianth segments 4-5 mm, elongate-ovate, membranous, at last hardened, hairy above the wing, the apices forming a cone. Style robust, 0.75 mm; stigmas 1.5 mm, hand-like. Anthers linear, 1.5 mm, the halves free almost to the apex, the appendage of the connective 1 mm, narrowly triangular, warty-papillose. Seed erect. Fl. 5-7. Rocks, ridges, stony slopes, 900-2500 m.

Syrian Desert, Iran. Ir.-Tur. element.

subsp. serpentinicola

Subsp. serpentinicola is geographically separated and differs from subsp. canescens by the following characters: leaves, bracts and bracteoles glaucous, obtusely triangular in cross section, marginally and apically ciliate; tepals completely glabrous; anther appendages larger, 1.5-2.0 mm, as long as or longer than thecae. Fl. 8-9. In open communities on skeletal soils derived from serpentinic rocks and in rock fissures. 1600-2000 m.

Endemic. E. Medit. element.