''Soda oppositifolia'' is a species of

halophyte A halophyte is a salt-tolerant plant that grows in soil or waters of high salinity, coming into contact with saline water through its roots or by salt spray, such as in saline semi-deserts, mangrove swamps, marshes and sloughs, and seashores. ...

shrub native to the Mediterranean Basin.

Description

This annual, woody plant can grow into shrubs up to 2 m tall. It has cylindrical-linear and opposed leaves. The flowers, which bloom from May to October, are hermphrodyte and have a size of 1 cm.

Taxonomy

''Salsola oppositifolia'' was first described by

René Louiche Desfontaines René Louiche Desfontaines (14 February 1750 – 16 November 1833) was a French botanist. Desfontaines was born near Tremblay, Ille-et-Vilaine, Tremblay in Brittany. He attended the Collège de Rennes and in 1773 went to Paris to study medici ...

and published in '' Flora Atlantica'' 1: 219. 1798.

Uses

This plant has been historically used, along with other '' Soda'' species, as a source of

soda ash Sodium carbonate (also known as washing soda, soda ash, sal soda, and soda crystals) is the inorganic compound with the formula and its various hydrates. All forms are white, odourless, water-soluble salts that yield alkaline solutions in water ...

, in the manufacture of lye and soaps.

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q106909675, from2=Q6117491 Amaranthaceae Halophytes Industrial history Plants described in 1798 Barilla plants Flora of Algeria Flora of Spain Flora of Tunisia