GROWTH HABIT:	This Mediterranean annual, erect, many stems. Blue/green in spring, turning yellow or red in fall. Reproduces by seed only.
LEAVES:	Alternate, in bunches along the stem, fleshy, tube-like, ending abruptly and tipped with delicate needle-like spine. Tufts of cottony hairs at leaf attachment.
FLOWERS:	Green, inconspicuous, born in leaf axil.
SEEDS:	Two types: Black, which germinate during first growing season after produced and brown, which are dormant but viable for several years.
OTHER:	Toxic to livestock, especially sheep, from high oxalate content. Easily dispersed by vehicles and road grading equipment.
KEY CHARACTERS:	Fleshy tube-like leaves and tipped with needle-like spine. Reddish stems.
Distribution:	Benton, Montgomery and Westguard Pass. Along roadsides and in mineral material pits – Inyo and Mono Counties