Kali (plant)
| Kali | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Kali tragus in fruit | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Core eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Amaranthaceae |
| Subfamily: | Salsoloideae |
| Genus: | Kali Mill. |
| Species | |
|
13 species; see text. | |
Kali is a genus of plants in the subfamily Salsoloideae in the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae. Common names of various members of this genus include tumbleweed for its wind-blown seed dispersal habit, and Tartar thistle[1] and Russian thistle for its origins.[1]
These species were previously part of the genus Salsola.
Systematics
The type species of the genus is Kali turgida. The genus consists of 13 species:[2]
- Kali australis (R.Br.) Akhani & E.H.Roalson (syn. Salsola kali R.Br.)
- Kali collina (Pall.) Akhani & E.H.Roalson (Salsola collina Pall.)
- Kali griffithii (Bunge) Akhani & E.H.Roalson (Noaea griffithii Bunge)
- Kali jacquemontii (Moq.) Akhani & E.H.Roalson (Salsola jacquemontii Moq.)
- Kali ikonnikovii (Iljin) Akhani & E.H.Roalson (Salsola ikonnikovii Iljin)
- Kali komarovii (Iljin) Akhani & E.H.Roalson (Salsola komarovii Iljin)
- Kali paulsenii (Litv.) Akhani & E.H.Roalson (Salsola paulsenii Litv.)
- Kali rosacea (L.) Moench
- Kali tamamschjanae (Iljin) Akhani & E.H.Roalson (Salsola tamamschjanae Iljin)
- Kali tamariscina (Pall.) Akhani & E.H.Roalson (Salsola tamariscina Pall.)
- Kali tragus (L.) Scop. (Salsola tragus L., Salsola kali ssp. tragus)
- Kali turgida (Dumort.) Guterm.[3] (Kali soda Moench, Salsola kali L. ssp. kali)
- Kali zaidamica (Iljin) Akhani & E.H.Roalson (Salsola zaidamica Iljin)
Invasive Species
Several species, most notably the central Asian Kali tragus, are invasive species outside their native range. They have encroached into parts of North America, where they are listed as noxious weeds by the United States Department of Agriculture. The salt-tolerant genus was first reported in the United States around 1877 in Bon Homme County, South Dakota, apparently transported as a stowaway in flax seed exported by Ukrainian farmers. South Dakota proved too harsh and dry for growing flax, however, and by 1900 Kali had colonized as far west as the Pacific Coast. It was also actively introduced by the USDA as experimental food for cattle that could be grown in hard times during droughts. Palatability of the young shoots is considered to be fair. Cattle, sheep, and horses eat it if nothing better is available. Small rodents and pronghorn also graze on the young shoots. Kali thrives wherever land use has disturbed the soil. It can be seen in Death Valley, California, and in Colorado at elevations of 8500 feet (2600 m).
Gallery
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Vasey, G. (1892). "Report of the botanist". Report of the Secretary of Agriculture (United States Department of Agriculture) 1891: 341–58.
- ↑ Akhani, H., et al. (2007). Diversification of the old world Salsoleae s.l. (Chenopodiaceae): molecular phylogenetic analysis of nuclear and chloroplast data sets and a revised classification. International Journal of Plant Sciences 168(6), 931-56.
- ↑ Gutermann, W. (2011). Notulae nomenclaturales 41–45. Neue Namen bei Cruciata und Kali sowie einige kleinere Korrekturen. In: Phyton (Horn) 51(1) 98.