Nitraria

a genus of halophilic of the family Nitrariaceae (previously assigned to the family Zygophyllaceae). The sometimes thorny shrubs have alternate and entire fleshy leaves. The flowers, which are gathered in loose cymose inflorescences, are bisexual, pentamerous, and yellowish or white. The fruit is drupaceous and usually juicy. There are about ten species of Nitraria, distributed in Eurasia (in Europe, only in the southeast), northern Africa, and Australia. The USSR has four species. N. schoberi grows primarily in deserts and semideserts; it sometimes grows on salinated soils in steppes, forming pure thickets in some places. The fruits serve as feed for animals, including birds; they are sometimes used as human food. The ashes contain potash.