S. hadramautica Baker in Kew. Bull. 93: 340. 1894; S. leucophylla Baker l.c. 340. 1894.

Dwarf shrub, 5-25 cm high, grey to whitish with a very dense indumentum of 0.2-0.3(-0.4) mm long, stiff, straight or flexuose, spinulose hairs, spreading on the axes, adpressed on leaves and bracts. Stem up to 7 cm thick, branched from base, usually very short or even caudex-like; woody branches ascending or prostrate, up to 10 cm high. Annual shoots erect or ascending, leaf axils in lower part with condensed vegetative branches, higher up with much condensed few-flowered spikes, in dry condition very fragile. Leaves distichous, 5-8 x 1-2 mm, semi-terete, half-clasping with broad, slightly sheathing, 1.5-2.5 mm high base, apex rounded, leaves on side branches 3-5 mm long, often laterally flattened and obtusely keeled. Bracts similar to leaves of lateral shoots, strictly distichous, 2.5-4 x 2-2.5 mm, ovate in outline, about as long as the bracteoles and 0.5-2 mm shorter than tepals. Bracteoles 1.5-3.5 x 1.5 mm, keeled, slightly cucullate. Tepals narrow ovate, (2.5)3-3.5 mm long, the outer 1.4-1.6 mm wide, 2-3-veined, apex obtuse, lobed or subacute, transverse line at 1/4-1/3, above pilose with 0.5-1 mm long flexuose (in lower part) and straight (in upper part) hairs exceeding the apex. Anthers with appendage (2.2)2.5-3 mm long, divided up to the appendage; appendage free from thecae, with basal constriction, 0.8-1.3 mm long, near base 0.3-0.4 mm wide, narrow triangular, acute, rough; filaments 3 x 0.25 mm; disc thin, almost glabrous, scarcely lobed. Ovary subglobular; style (0.7)1-1.3 mm long; stigmas 0.7-1.2 mm long, 0.2(0.3) mm wide, flat to longitudinally furrowed, apex obtuse. Fruiting perianth 7-11 mm diam., wings subequal, widely overlapping, flexuose, margins usually undulate to dentate, in young stage sometimes orange to reddish, later pale brown; tepals just above the wings with a distinct cleft, at first arched, than strictly bent upwards, forming a steep cone or a column, loosely covered by persistent hairs; tepals below the wings moderately hardened, forming a cup-like structure, base flat. Seed 1.3-1.6 mm diam., horizontal.

Fl. Per.: September-October.

Holotype: [Somalia, Bari prov.] Pays de Comalis, Binder Gasem [Bandar Qasem], Medjourtines, 22.7.1881, G. Révoil 118 (P!).

In C Makran locally common in ravines, dry river beds and on gravelly slopes in extremely xerophytic semi-desert communities from 900-1450 m; Distribution: Scattered in N Somalia, S Yemen, Dhofar, Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Pakistani Baluchistan.

E Saharo-Sindian (Baluchistanean).

It resembles very much to S. tomentosa but differs by the strictly distichous leaf arrangement on the lateral shoots otherwise very rare in genus Salsola, furthermore in more clasping leaf bases, larger tepals and anthers.