Native, warm season, annual or biennial, erect or hemispherical, hairless herbs to 1 m tall. Leaves are to c. 30 mm long and spine-tipped. Flowers are solitary, but sometimes crowded towards the ends of the branches in dense spike-like clusters. Perianth segments are 3–4 mm long. The fruiting perianth is 4–7 mm diam, with fan-like wings to 3 mm long; Fruit are disperse when the plant breaks off at ground level and blows along. Grows in a wide range of habitats, often a colonizing species. Plants contain up to 30% sodium carbonate and were an important source of soda ash, until the early 19th century. Because of their oxalate content, the plants are potentially toxic to grazing livestock.
== {{int:filedesc}} == {{Information |Description=Native, warm season, annual or biennial, erect or hemispherical, hairless herbs to 1 m tall. Leaves are to c. 30 mm long and spine-tipped. Flowers are solitary, but sometimes crowded towards the ends of...