Salsola oppositiflora Pall., It. 2: 753. 1773; Anabasis oppositiflora (Pall.) M. Bieb. in Mem. Soc. Nat. Mosc. 1: 148. 1806; A. heteroptera (Bunge) Jaub. & Spach, Ill. Pl. Or. 2: 45. 1844; Girgensohnia gypsophiloides Bunge, l.c.; G. heteroptera Bunge, l.c.; G. oppositifolia Ball in Tutin et al., Fl. Europ. 1: 107. 1964; G. pallasii Bunge, Rel. Lehm. 303. 1851; Noaea oppositiflora (Pall.) C. A. Mey. in Ledeb., Fl. Alt. 1: 378. 1829.

Stiffish annual, up to 50 cm high, glaucous or reddish; stem and leaf roughened by short prickles. Leaves subulate, to subtrigonous-subulate, mostly subarcuate, terminating in a short slender spinule, dilated at the broadly scarious base, especially the upper, the margin commonly ciliolate. Flowers all over the plant in the axils of leaf-like bracts but mostly on short branchlets, in remote opposite spiciform inflorescences; bracteoles navicular, shorter than perianth; perianth segments membranous, ovate or oblong, free nearly to the base, the 3 outer bearing in fruit sub-rotund, mostly reddish wings, of these the 2 laterals horizontally spreading, the posterior erect and appressed to stem; the 2 inner segments wingless. Appendages of anther subulate to conical-subulate, white, ¼ - ½ the length of anther. Ovary covered at top with short capitate hairs; stigmas 2, very short. Fruit strongly compressed, with glabrous smooth, olivaceous-brown pericarp; seeds oval or oblong-oval, 1-2 x 0.8-1.5 mm.

Type: Russia, described from the steppes along the lower reaches of the Ural River, Pallas (LE).

Distribution: C. & S. W. Asia, Iran to Pakistan.

Ball (in Tutin et al., l.c.) inadvertently called it G. oppositifolia.