| TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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Jepson Interchange (more information) |
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©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
For up-to-date information about California vascular plants, visit the Jepson eFlora. |
AND IS MAINTAINED FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY |
Subshrubs, shrubs, generally from rhizome; salt-secreting glands present
Stem prostrate to erect, nodes swollen, often rooting; petioles or dead leaves persisting on older stems
Leaves opposite, 4-ranked, ± clustered; blade entire, generally leathery or fleshy, glabrous to hairy, margins rolled under
Inflorescence: cyme, axillary; flowers 1–25
Flower generally bisexual, radial; sepals 4–7, fused; petals 4–7, free, overlapping, clawed (together appearing salverform), white to blue-purple, petal blade with a scale-like appendage near base; stamens 3–12 in two whorls, outer shorter; ovary superior, chambers 1–4, style branches 1–4; ovules 1–many
Fruit: loculicidal capsule
Seed ivory to golden-brown
Genera in family: 1 genus, 90 species: temp saline and gypsum soils
Reference: [Whalen 1987 Syst Bot Monogr 17:1–93]
Etymology: (Possibly named for J. Franke, Swedish botanist born 1590 or for Johann Frankenius, colleague of Linnaeus)
| Native |
Shrub 1–10 dm diam
Stem decumbent, 1–3 dm; twig generally with scattered hairs
Leaf sparsely to densely hairy
Inflorescences in few uppermost axils
Flower: calyx tube 3–5 mm; petals 3–4 mm, white, lower half often pink; stamens generally 4, 4–9 mm; style branches generally 2
Fruit 2–2.5 mm
Seed 1, 1.4–2 mm, ovoid-conic
Ecology: Alkali flats, coastal marshes, dunes
Elevation: < 450 m.
Bioregional distribution: South Coast (sw San Diego Co.)
Distribution outside California: n Mexico