Key to Salicornia

View taxon page for Salicornia

(For a list of species in Salicornia, use the above link.)

Jepson Manual glossary definitions can be seen by moving your cursor over words underlined with dots.

1. Subshrub, some stems vegetative only; central flowers of a 

node 

Position on a stem from which one or more structures (especially leaves, buds, branches, or flowers) arise.

separating lateral flowers, flowers in a horizontal row

2. Woody stems 

spreading 

Oriented more or less perpendicularly to the axis of attachment; often, more or less horizontal.

to 

erect 

Upright; vertically oriented.

; longest spikes with 12–40 fertile 

nodes 

Position on a stem from which one or more structures (especially leaves, buds, branches, or flowers) arise.

..... S. pacifica

2' Woody stems creeping; longest spikes with 7–14 fertile nodes ..... S. perennis

1' Annual, all stems terminated by inflorescence; lateral flowers of a node generally meeting below central flower, flowers in a triangle.

3. Leaf, 

bract 

Reduced, leaf- or scale-like structure subtending a branch, cone scale, peduncle, pedicel, or flower.

tips generally 

acute 

Having a short-tapered, sharp tip, the sides convex or straight and converging at less than a right angle.

, sharp-mucronate; inflorescence 

internode 

Segment of an axis (generally a stem) between successive positions (nodes) from which one or more structures (especially leaves, buds, branches, or flowers) arise.

length < width ..... S. bigelovii

3' Leaf, bract tips 

obtuse 

Having a short-tapered, blunt tip or base, the sides convex or straight and converging at more than a right angle.

to ± acute, not sharp; inflorescence internode length >= width

4. Inflorescence 

internodes 

Segment of an axis (generally a stem) between successive positions (nodes) from which one or more structures (especially leaves, buds, branches, or flowers) arise.

± 

cylindric 

Elongate, with parallel sides and, at any point, round in transverse section.

; central flower ± > lateral flowers; anthers 0.3–0.5+ mm, 

exserted 

Protruding out of surrounding structure(s) (e.g., stamens exserted from corolla).

before dehiscence ..... S. depressa

4' Inflorescence internodes widest distally; central flower >> lateral flowers; anthers 0.2–0.4 mm, generally dehiscing inside flower, generally not exserted ..... S. rubra

Please use this Google Form for Contact/Feedback

Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) . Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/ [accessed on ]

Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on .

We encourage links to these pages, but the content may not be downloaded for reposting, repackaging, redistributing, or sale in any form, without written permission from The Jepson Herbarium.