Halothamnus

Halothamnus
Halothamnus subaphyllus subsp. charifii
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Amaranthaceae
Subfamily: Salsoloideae
Tribe: Salsoleae
Genus: Halothamnus
Jaub. & Spach
Species

21 species, see text

Synonyms
  • Aellenia (Ulbr.) emend. Aellen
  • Salsola L. sect. Sphragidanthus Iljin

Halothamnus is a genus in the subfamily Salsoloideae of the family Amaranthaceae (s.l., now including Chenopodiaceae). The scientific name means saltbush, from the Greek ἅλς (hals) "salt" and θαμνος (thamnos) "bush". This refers either to salty habitats or to the accumulation of salt in the plants. The genus is distributed from Southwest and Central Asia to the Arabian peninsula and East Africa.