| Halothamnus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Halothamnus subaphyllus subsp. charifii | |
Scientific 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 | |
| |
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.