SALICORNIA EUROPAEA

Family and Genus:- See- AMARANTHACEAE

Common Names:- Glasswort, Marsh samphire.

Homotypic 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:-

1) 10-30 cm, subterete, sparingly to richly branched. primary branches often as

long as the main stem.

Leaves:-

1) Opposite, reduced to translucent scales ± connate around the stem.

Flowers:-

1) Inflorescence, a segmented, cylindrical spike, each fertile segment composed of

two 3- flowered cymes immersed in cavities of the inflorescence axis.

2) Terminal spike, 10-50 mm. 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, upper edge with an

inconspicuous, narrow, scarious margin up to 0·1 mm wide. cuspidate at the

apex.

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

3) Stamens, 1(-2).

Fruit:-

1) Seed, c. 1 mm. 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.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

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