Amaranthaceae FAMILY

Anabasis aphylla

Edibility

0/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

The plant contains several alkaloids including anabasine, which is used as an insecticide. A few drops of this extracted alkaloid can be lethal for a human adult^[1].

Cultivation Details

HabitShrub

Growth—

Anabasis aphylla is a plant of arid and semi-arid regions. It can experience temperatures considerably below zero in its native habitat, but is likely to struggle from excessive moisture in regions with higher rainfall. It is likely to prefer a well-drained soil and a sunny position^[PFAF].

Propagation

Seed - Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Anabasis+aphylla>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

[1]Flora of the USSR. — Komarov. V. L. · Israel Program for Scientific Translation · 1968 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org · ISBN - ↩︎An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
[2]Flora of China — Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. · 1994 · http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
[3]Phytochemical Screening, Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of Anabasis aphylla L. Extracts — Abollfazl Shakeri et al · 2012 ↩︎A research paper
[PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎