Salsola tuberculata young upper stems

Leaves are an all or nothing affair on Salsola tuberculata stems: The young stems hide under a protective covering of densely overlapping leaves forming granular knobs close together, whereas old stems have no leaves whatsoever.

The old stems may even appear like bare wood lacking bark, but they do surprise by sprouting many short, side-branchlets when the seasons permit (Van Rooyen and Van Rooyen, 2019; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Vahrmeijer, 1981; JSTOR; iNaturalist).