General:
Perennial herb from a branching rhizome; matted; stems prostrate, freely branched, up to 1 m long.

Leaves:
Stem leaves reduced to opposite, scalelike, fused bracts; lower scales slightly spreading, obtuse to rounded.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of fleshy spikes, the flowers sunken in depressions of the joints just above the axils and opposite fused bracts, the joints of the spike mostly 0.5-2.5 mm long and about as thick as the spikes; flowers in groups of 3, central flowers in each cluster barely exceeding the lateral ones; spikes 1-4 cm long.

Fruits:
Thin, papery-walled, membranous bladders enclosed by spongy flower scales; seeds 1 per bladder, hairy.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Illustration Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Salicornia pacifica
Salicornia virginica L.