SARCOCORNIA PERENNIS

Family and Genus:- See- AMARANTHACEAE

Common Names:- Perennial glasswort

Homotypic Synonyms:- Salicornia perennis.

Meaning:- Sarcocornia (L) Fleshy-horned (reference to the fleshy leaves).

Perennis (L) Continuing, perennial, throughout the year.

General description:- Shrub or perennial herb.

Stem:-

1) Creeping, rooting at the nodes and forming mats, short, erect, sterile or flowering

stems 100-500 x 3-5 mm, dull to shiny green, often yellow or reddish-brown with

age.

Leaves:-

1) 1-2 mm, with scarious margins.

Flowers:-

1) Inflorescence, 1-6 cm, tapering in flower, cylindrical in fruit.

2) Perianth segments, truncate, c. 2 mm.

Fruit:-

1) Seed, brown, with minute curved or uncinate hairs

Key features:-

1) Main stems, often dull to shiny green turning yellow or reddish-brown, prostrate,

rooting at the nodes.

2) Seeds, with minute curved or uncinate hairs

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Habitat:- Wet sand, salines near the coast, inundated depressions and flats, river

mouths, near harbours, at sea level.

Distribution:- Widespread along Mediterranean and Atlantic coastal shores. Rare

with limited distribution around the coastal areas of Crete.

Flowering time:- Late July-Aug

Photos by:- A N Other