FRANKENIACEAE

FRANKENIA FAMILY

R. John Little

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]

FRANKENIA

FRANKENIA

Etymology: (Possibly named for J. Franke, Swedish botanist born 1590 or for Johann Frankenius, colleague of Linnaeus)

Native

F. salina (Molina) I.M. Johnst.

ALKALI HEATH

Subshrub forming mats < 3 m diam
Stem ± prostrate, 1–6 dm; twig glabrous to hairy
Leaf glabrous to densely hairy
Inflorescences in most upper axils
Flower: calyx tube 4–9 mm; petals 5–14 mm, white to dark pink or blue-purple; stamens generally 6, 5–12 mm; style branches generally 3
Fruit 3–5 mm
Seeds 1–20, 1–1.5 mm, ± ellipsoid
Ecology: Salt marshes, alkali flats
Elevation: < 750 m.
Bioregional distribution: Great Central Valley, Central Coast, South Coast, Channel Islands, East of Sierra Nevada, Mojave Desert
Distribution outside California: to Nevada, Mexico, S.America
Flowering time: Jun–Oct
Synonyms: F. grandifolia Cham. & Schldl.; F. g. var. campestris A. Gray
Horticultural information: SUN, IRR: 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24; GRCVR.