Sarcocornia perennis

Koca geren

Perennial herb or slightly woody dwarf shrub, 10-20 cm high, forming dense, usually flat mats up to 2 m diam., yellowish to fresh green, with age often brownish or reddish, glabrous. Main branches prostrate, rooting, by sedimentation sometimes subterranean, side branches very numerous, at first erect, succulent, later often thread; like by decortication and diffusely  spreading. Leaves in pairs, 1-2 mm long, acutish, in lower part connate to a cupular sheath, with scarious margins. Spikes terminal, cylindrical, simple or compound, 1-6 cm long, 2-3.5 mm diam. Central flower somewhat larger than 2 laterals. Tepals fused, succulent. Seeds c. 2 mm long; testa brown, with minute curved or uncinate hairs. 2n=18, 27. Fl. 7-11. Forming a pioneer salt-marsh community on temporarily inundated muddy shores well-protected from the surge of the sea. 0-2 m.

Canary Islands, coasts of W. Europe and the Mediterranean countries, northwards up to N. England and NW. France, eastwards up to Syria and Israel. Medit. element.