USDA GRIN lists the native range as Northern Africa (Algeria), Temperate Asia (Azerbaijan, China, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Russian Federation) Western Asia (Iran, Israel, Turkey), Eastern Europe (Russia, Ukraine), Middle Europe, Southeastern and Southwestern Europe.
Annual, fleshy dicot herb known to be a halophyte (occuring in coastal and other saline environments), up to 45-70cm tall.
Cultivated as an edible (Agretti) succulent in Italy and Europe and historically (not currently) as a source of soda ash (glass and soap making). Species not listed in Western Sunset Garden Book or Dave's Garden. A Britain-based gardening blog (Unconventional Gardener, see link below) in 2016 designated it as the "must have vegetable" and it may be poised to "explode on the Grow Your Own" scene this year. One literature source cited the Natural Resources Council of the US as follows: " Some weed species of the genera Salsola and Chenopodium are considered salt tolerant minor crops to utilize in marginal area (National Research Council, 1990."