SALICORNIA EUROPAEA

Family:- AMARANTHACEAE

Common Names:- Glasswort, Marsh samphire.

Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Salicornia (L) Salt-horn, (reference to the habitat and the form of the

shoot-joints).

Europaea (L) From Europe, European.

General description:- Articulate, fleshy, hairless (glabrous) annual herb; whole

plant varying from bright green to crimson or purple.

Stem:-

a) 10-30 cm.

b) subterete, sparingly to richly branched.

1) Primary branches:

a) often as long as the main stem.

2) Terminal spike:

a) 10-50 mm.

b) lower fertile segments 2·5-4·5 mm, 3-5 mm wide at the narrowest point and

3·5-6 mm wide at the widest.

c) upper edge with an inconspicuous, narrow, scarious margin up to 0·1 mm

wide. cuspidate at the apex.

Leaves:-

a) Opposite.

b) reduced to translucent scales ± united (connate) around the stem.

Flowers:-

1) Inflorescence:

a) a segmented, cylindrical spike.

b) each fertile segment composed of two 3- flowered cymes immersed in cavities

of the inflorescence axis.

2) Perianth:

a) minute, 3- or 4-1obed.

3) Stamens:

a) 1(-2).

Fruit:-

1) Seed:

a) c. 1 mm.

b) vertical, compressed, oblong.

Key features:-

1) Lower fertile segments of the terminal spike 3-5 mm wide at the narrowest point.

2) Upper scarious margin of the fertile segments up to 0·1 mm wide, cuspidate at

the apex.

3) Lateral flowers distinctly smaller than the central.

Habitat:- Lagoons, saline flats, saltpans often forming large mats.

Distribution:- Coastal and inland saline habitats, Mediterranean region, SE Europe

and SW. Asia. Rare with limited distribution on Crete.

Flowering time:- May-Oct.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton