Semi-desert. Shrublands. Summer, fall.
Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, New Mexico, October 9, 2007.

These are the flowers of the massive, invasive Tumble Weed that we see blowing across roads and piling up against fences in the West.  Stems are stout and when the plant dries and tears off at the base of its central stem, the stems support the plant as it  tumbles along spreading its seeds.  The plant was, according to Utah Flora, introduced to South Dakota in 1873 from Russia in a load of Flax seed.  The mature plants tumbled quickly through the West invading millions of acres.  Salsola australis makes for many ecological problems but does provide decent winter food for cattle and it makes a darn good song.  Click to hear some of the song.

Linnaeus named this species and the genus in 1755.

Semi-desert. Shrublands. Summer, fall.
Hunter Canyon, Utah, September 26, 2005.

This species is most common in the Great Basin area and is occasionally found in the western counties of Colorado and New Mexico and in the northern counties of Arizona.  

This species was named by Litvinov in 1905.

Semi-desert. Shrublands. Summer, fall.
Hunter Canyon, Utah, September 26, 2005.