Salsola paulsenii (barbwire Russian-thistle)

Salsola paulsenii

Photo courtesy Joseph DiTomaso

Salsola paulsenii (barbwire Russian thistle) is a bushy annual (family Chenopodiaceae) found throughout the Mojave Desert of California. It prefers loose, sandy soils in desert scrub and disturbed areas, such as roadsides and cultivated fields. Barbwire Russian thistle is easily confused with Russian thistle (Salsola tragus), and the two species can hybridize, making a plant that looks like a mix between the two species. Both species reproduce using seeds which can only survive for up to two years in the soil. Cultivation can effectively control barbwire Russian thistle seedlings, but must be repeated until all seeds in the seedbank loose viability.

Cal-IPC Inventory rating: Limited

Cal-IPC Resources on Salsola paulsenii

• California Invasive Plant Inventory Assessment Form (pdf) - Information gathered by Cal-IPC on the impacts, rate of spread, and distribution of invasive plants in California. Does not include management information.
• Cal-IPC News - Articles from our quarterly newsletter. (None for this species.)
• Cal-IPC Symposium Proceedings - Presentations and papers from our annual Symposium. List of articles on Salsola paulsenii.

Cal-IPC News Articles

• None for this species.

Cal-IPC Symposium Proceedings

• Ayres, D., F. Ryan, et al. (2005). Tumbleweeds of California - Who, what, where, and how? California Invasive Plant Council Symposium 2005. Chico, CA.
• Ryan, F. J., D. R. Ayres, et al. (1999). There's more to tumbleweed (Russian thistle) than meets the eye. California Exotic Pest Plant Council Symposium '99. Sacramento, CA.

Other Resources on Salsola paulsenii

• USDA PLANTS database - Federal database with information on identification and distribution, and links to websites in individual states.
• Jepson Online Interchange for California Flora - Information on taxonomy, biology, and distribution from the UC Berkeley Jepson Herbarium.
• CalFlora - Distribution information by county based on submitted observations and herbarium specimens.
• The Nature Conservancy Management Summary - Information compiled by TNC land managers. Photos included for some species.
• CalPhotos - Images of plants taken mostly in California.
• Natural Resource Projects Inventory - State database with information on resource management projects throughout California. Query by the species of interest.

Printer-friendly version