Anabasis aphylla
L.
Amaranthaceae
Common Name:
General Information
Anabasis aphylla is a perennial plant with perennial, much-branched stems that become more or less woody and usually persist, plus green, annual stems that usually die back in winter. It can grow from 20 - 75cm tall[
74- Title
- Flora of the USSR.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Komarov. V. L.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Israel Program for Scientific Translation
- Year
- 1968
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- 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.
,
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- 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.
].
The plant is harvsted from the wild on a commercial basis for the extraction of the alkaloid anabasine, which is used as an insecticide[
74- Title
- Flora of the USSR.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Komarov. V. L.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Israel Program for Scientific Translation
- Year
- 1968
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- 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.
]. The plant plays a valuable role in stabilizing sand dunes, and is sometimes planted for this purpose.
Known 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[
74- Title
- Flora of the USSR.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Komarov. V. L.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Israel Program for Scientific Translation
- Year
- 1968
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- 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.
].
Botanical References
74- Title
- Flora of the USSR.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Komarov. V. L.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Israel Program for Scientific Translation
- Year
- 1968
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- 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.
,
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- 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.
Range
Europe - Russia, through Asia to southwestern Siberia, central Asia and northern China.
Habitat
Gobi desert, inter-dunes, gravelly alluvial fans, sometimes on arid slopes[
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- 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.
]. Solonetzes, solonetzic solonchaks, takyrs, solonchak Haloxylon communities, loess sierozems, sands with a high brackish watertable, and old irrigated crop fields[
74- Title
- Flora of the USSR.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Komarov. V. L.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Israel Program for Scientific Translation
- Year
- 1968
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- 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.
].
Properties
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Shrub |
| Height | 0.40 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
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[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
The plant is used medicinally[
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- 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.
]. No more information is given, but another report has shown that the plant has antimicrobial and antioxidant activities[
1069- Title
- Phytochemical Screening, Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of Anabasis aphylla L. Extracts
- Publication
- Kragujevac Journal of Science 34 (2012) 71-78.
- Author
- Abollfazl Shakeri et al
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2012
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A research paper
].
The plant has been shown to have a strong antimicrobial activity (which is relatively close to the standards (amoxicillin and ketoconazole), whilst a methanol extract of the green stems showed strong antioxidant activity[
1069- Title
- Phytochemical Screening, Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of Anabasis aphylla L. Extracts
- Publication
- Kragujevac Journal of Science 34 (2012) 71-78.
- Author
- Abollfazl Shakeri et al
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2012
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A research paper
]
Agroforestry Uses:
The plant often grows in dense communities and is valuable for stabilizing sand dunes in its native habitat. It is sometimes planted for this purpose[
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- 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.
].
Other Uses
The annual branches contain the alkaloid anabasine (C10H14N2), a botanical insecticide[
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- 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.
].
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Temperate Plants Database 2016 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
