Salicornia bigelovii

Stems erect, green sometimes becoming red, simple or with primary and secondary branches, 5-60 cm, ultimate branches short or long; leaf and bract apices acute, sharply mucronate. Spikes cylindric and slightly torulose, 2-10 cm, with 5-25 fertile segments; bracts almost obscuring cymes. Fertile segments 4-5 × 4.5-6.2 mm, wider than long, widest distally, margins ca. 0.5 mm wide, scarious. Central flower semicircular distally, 2.2-2.8 × 2-2.8 mm, about as long as wide, usually reaching top of segment, only slightly larger than lateral flowers; anthers exserted, dehiscing after exsertion. 2n = 36.

Flowering late summer-early fall, year-round in Fla. Middle levels of saltmarshes; 0-100 m; Calif., Fla., Ga., Maine, Md., Mass., N.J., N.Y., N.C., S.C., Tex., Va.; n Mexico (Caribbean and Pacific coasts).

Salicornia bigelovii probably also occurs in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, but no specimens have been seen that confirm its presence in these states.

Erect annual, mostly 1-4 dm; scales below the spikes mucronate; spikes 2-10 cm, the joints 2-3.5 נ4.5-6 mm; lateral fls nearly contiguous below the lateral angles of the larger central one; seeds 1-1.5 mm. Salt marshes; N.S. to Tex.; also in Calif., Mex., and W.I.

Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

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