Salicornia virginica Linnaeus. Common name: Samphire. Phenology: Jul-Oct. Habitat: Salt pannes in coastal marshes. Distribution: NS and QC south to GA.
Origin/Endemic status: Native
Taxonomy Comments: It is unclear whether our eastern North American plants are distinct from European plants of the S. europaea complex. Recent European workers recognize multiple species in the S. europaea complex. S. europaea (in the narrow sense) is a diploid species; our plants are apparently all tetraploid and may or may not be conspecific with one of the European tetraploid entities in this complex. Until further studies are completed, it seems best to recognize our plants as distinct. The oldest name available for the American plants is Salicornia virginica Linnaeus, which has unfortunately been generally misapplied to the perennial glasswort, here treated as Salicornia ambigua.
Synonymy ⓘ: = Va; = Salicornia depressa Standl. in N.L.Britton et al. — FNA4, K4, NE, NY; = Salicornia herbacea L. — S13, misapplied; < Salicornia europaea L. — C, G, GW2, RAB, S, Tat, W, Judd & Ferguson (1999), misapplied; >< Salicornia europaea L. var. europaea — F; > Salicornia europaea L. var. prostrata (Pall.) Fernald — F; > Salicornia europaea L. var. simplex (Pursh) Fernald — F. Basionym: Salicornia virginica L. 1753
Links to other floras: = Salicornia depressa - FNA4
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Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: OBL (name change)
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: OBL (name change)
- Northcentral & Northeast: OBL (name change)
Heliophily ⓘ: 9
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© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
© Alan M. Cressler | Original Image ⭷
© Collectors SOS | Original Image ⭷
© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
© Aidan Campos source | Original Image ⭷
© Collectors SOS | Original Image ⭷
© Collectors SOS | Original Image ⭷Feedback
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Horticultural Information
Intro: Erect annual of salt pannes in coastal marshes.
Stems: Stems single to much-branched, succulent, narrower than flowering spikes, lower branches sometimes prostrate, turning red to yellow or orange in autumn.
Leaves: Leaves opposite and below the flowering spikes, minute, scaly and rounded-fleshy, lacking a sharp tip.
Inforescence:
Flowers: Flowers in branched, erect, terminal spikes; minute and sunken or immersed in the thick, segmented spikes whose segments are thicker than they are long.
Fruits: Fruit an achene.
Comments:
Height: to 15 in.
plant sale text:
bloom table text:
description: Erect annual of salt pannes in coastal marshes.
stems: Stems single to much-branched, succulent, narrower than flowering spikes, lower branches sometimes prostrate, turning red to yellow or orange in autumn.
leaves: Leaves opposite and below the flowering spikes, minute, scaly and rounded-fleshy, lacking a sharp tip.
inflorescence:
flowers: Flowers in branched, erect, terminal spikes; minute and sunken or immersed in the thick, segmented spikes whose segments are thicker than they are long.
fruits: Fruit an achene.
comments:
cultural notes:
germination code:
native range:
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