Salsola plants

Soda as well as potash have also been made, since early antiquity, by burning weeds until only their ash remains - thus known as either soda ash or potash ash. The ash may also contain as much as 5% of sodium or potassium carbonate. Kelp, a large seaweed of the order Laminaria, and barilla plants, of the genus Salsola, which grow on many seashores, have... 

With very few exceptions, naturally occurring acids and alkalies are weak. All acids known in antiquity were of organic origin some occur in fruits, especially in unripe fruitjuices. Most ancient alkalies were derived from the ash of plants such as barilla, Salsola soda and Salsola kali (Russian thistle), and kelp. 

Georg Adolph Suckow, in his "Introduction to Economic and Technical Chemistry, described in 1784 the preparation of soda by burning certain marine plants such as Fucus vesiculosus, Chenopodium maritimum, and Salsola kali, and leaching it from the half-vitrified ashes. This industry flourished at Alicante, Spain, at Alexandria, Egypt, and along the coasts of Italy and France (47). 

In an attempt to find out whether the presence of soda or potash depended on a specific difference in the plants which produce them or on the composition of the soils, du Hamel devoted many years to agricultural experiments, at his estate at Denainvilliers, on the culture of the common saltwort (Salsola kali), a plant used for the manufacture of soda ash. The final analyses of the ash of this plant proved that in the first year the mineral alkali still predominated, but that in succeeding years the vegetable alkali rapidly increased until finally, after a few generations, the soda had almost disappeared (50). In these experiments, he had for many years the invaluable and enthusiastic help of his brother, M. de Denainvilliers. In his eulogy of du Hamel in the History of the Academy of Sciences, the Marquis de Condorcet gave the following characterizations of the two brothers ... 

Salsola collina Pall. Zhu Mao Chao (whole plant) Salsoline, salsolidine, betaine.33 Treat hypertension at early stage. 

Stallings, G.P., D.C. Thill, C.A. Mallory-Smith, and L.W. Lass (1995a). Plant movement and seed dispersal of Russian thistle (Salsola iberica). Weed Sci., 43 63-69. 

Oueslati MH, Ben-Jannet H, Abreu P, Mighri Z (2004) Structure of a Coumarinolignan Isolated from the Aerial Part of the Plant Salsola tetrandra. J Soc Alger Chim 14 181 Chem Abstr 143 225960... 

The plants just mentioned, the blackberry, chinquapin, (Casta-nea) and dogwood to be used as astringents, the gentians, pipsissewa, Sabbatia, etc., as bitter tonics, can easily be obtained by our soldiers while in camp, and they will be found to fulfill aU the indications required in most cases of fever, dysentery, diarrhea, catarrhs, etc. In the formation of demulcent drinks, as substitutes for flaxseed and gum-arabic, the roots and leaves of the sassafras, and the leaves of the Bene (Sesamum) will suffice. The Podophyllum (wild jalap [i.e., mayapple]) will supply the purgative therefore, with the possession of opium and calomel, the surgeon in the field can himself obtain almost everything desired, and with comparatively little aid from the Medical Purveyors. Our chief desiderata now are the preparations of potash, viz nitrate chlorate and bicarbonate, and sup. carb. of soda. We may procure soda from our Salsola kali [saltwort]." 9... 

Salsoline and salsolidine (0-methylsalsoline) have been found by Orekhov and Proskurnina (32-35, 36, 37) in the desert plant Salsola arbuscula (S. richteri) belonging to the family Chenopodiaceae. A third alkaloid, of unknown constitution (salsamine), occurs in traces in the drug. 

The chul zone occupies most of the Central Asian plain (Turan) and displays four soil types salty chul, sandy chul, gypsum (stony) chul, and clay chul (National Biodiversity Strategy Project Steering Committee 1998). Portions of the salty chul ecosystem that have extremely high salt concentrations support no plant life. Areas of salty chul with lower salt content are dominated by Artemisia halophila and species in the Chenopodiaceae family such as Halocnemum strobilaceum, Halostachys caspica, Haloxylon aphyllum, Salicornia herbacea, Salsola dendroides, Suaeda dendroides... 

The discovery of bases is also very ancient. In prehistorical times, plants were utilized because they could be made into soaps. They had to be burned, and the cinders could be made into soaps, such as Marseille soaps or Aleppo soap, depending on where they were made. The plant s alkaline properties, whether the species were Salicomia or simply common soda (Salsola soda [1]) (Fig. 1.2), define the properties that allow soaps to be made. 

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