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Salsola kali tenuifolia

Salsola kali tenuifolia

9.9
A prickly bushy plant like a round tumbleweed that grows in dry areas and damages crops
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Salsola kali tenuifolia
  • Dry regions in the West are often covered with Salsola kali tenuifolia, better known as Russian thistle.

Examples

  • The spread of Salsola kali tenuifolia has created significant problems for local agriculture.

  • In arid landscapes, Salsola kali tenuifolia can often be seen rolling across the ground as tumbleweed.

  • Researchers studied how Salsola kali tenuifolia adapts to different soil types and climates.

  • The Salsola kali tenuifolia is often found in arid regions.

  • Farmers consider Salsola kali tenuifolia a significant pest.

  • Farmers struggle to manage the growth of Salsola kali tenuifolia, which competes with their crops for resources.

  • The presence of Salsola kali tenuifolia in the area indicates poor soil conditions that favor noxious weeds.

Synonyms

tumbleweed
vsSalsola kali tenuifolia
15 6.5

A dry plant that breaks off and rolls in the wind

is this specific Eurasian species often treated as a noxious introduction
Russian thistle
vsSalsola kali tenuifolia
  • US
8.1

A spiky bush that breaks off and tumbles across dry fields in the wind

is described as a prickly Eurasian plant often seen as a noxious US weed
Russian tumbleweed
vsSalsola kali tenuifolia
  • US
9.3

A prickly bush that breaks off and rolls in the wind across dry land

is regarded as a troublesome introduced weed rather than focusing on motion
Russian cactus
vsSalsola kali tenuifolia
  • US
8.8

A prickly bushy plant from Europe and Asia that grows wild and causes problems as a weed

is the standard botanical name noting species and weed status
Salsola kali
vsSalsola kali tenuifolia
  • Specialized
9.9

A bushy plant that grows on sea beaches and salty marshes with prickly leaves

is the broader Eurasian weed known for being prickly and invasive inland

Surface Forms

Salsola kali tenuifolia singular
Salsola kali tenuifolias plural

Morphology

Salsola + kali + tenuifolia

This is a scientific Latin binomial composed of a genus and species epithets, so its everyday meaning (a tumbleweed / noxious Eurasian plant) is specialized botanical knowledge rather than a compositional English phrase. Even if a learner knew that 'Salsola' is a genus and 'kali' roughly denotes a bushy plant, the technical Latin epithet 'tenuifolia' and the taxonomic convention make the overall meaning unpredictable to an average B1 learner.

Etymology

Salsola kali tenuifolia is the Latin name for the prickly bush people call the 'Russian thistle' or 'tumbleweed'. When the plant dries it often breaks off at the base and rolls like a ball across fields, spreading seeds, so people see it as a harmful 'weed'.