The Hassian Thistle. 
By Charles S. Crandall. 
The list of Colorado weeds, already a formidable one, has re¬ 
cently receiAmd an addition, a new-comer which at once falls into 
the category of worst weeds and which we deem worthy of special 
mention. We refer to the Russian thistle, or Russian cactus. 
These two names for the plant are in common use wherever it is 
known and are too well established to admit of being changed ; 
they are, however, misapplied, because the plant is neither a thistle 
nor a cactus. The species of which the plant to be considered is a 
variety is the saltwort, common along the Atlantic coast and re¬ 
ported from a number of stations inland as far west as Nebraska, 
it is an introduced plant of weedy character, but during its century 
or more of existence on American soil has never developed as a 
serious farm or garden pest. 
Saltwort, or Russian saltwort, would be correct as common 
names for our plant, but following custom we will call it Russian 
thistle. 
Botanically the plant is known as Salsola kali tragus (L.) Moq. 
It belongs to the goosefoot family— Clienopodiacedc —and is closely 
related to several of our most common weeds, among them being 
the common pigweed, Cheuopodiurn album L.; the winged pigweed, 
Ogdoloinia platyphyllum ] the sea-blite, Nwajda depressa Watson,, 
which in company wdth its variety, erecta, is so common on lands- 
moist from seepage; the greasewood, Sarcobatus maximiliani Nees., 
and several species of the genus Atriplex. There should also be- 
mentioned as relatives of the Russian thistle three members of the^ 
amaranth family, Amaranthus retroflexus L.; Amaranihus blitoides 
Watson; Amaranthus albus L. ; the latter is our common tumble¬ 
weed, and has often been mistaken for the Russian thistle. 
ORIGIN AND HISTORY. 
The following concerning the origin and history of the Russian.- 
thistle, as given by Mr. L. H. Dewey, in bulletin No. 15, from the- 
Division of Botany of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, wdll be 
of interest: 
“ Nearly a century and a half ago this plant was mentioned by 
Linnmus as growing in eastern Europe, and many botanical writers 
have since described it among the plants of that region.. The 
species Salsola kali, or some of its varieties, is found in most of the 
provinces of eastern Russia and western Siberia. The variety 
