Salicornia maritima Wolff & Jefferies

Jointed Glasswort

Habitat: Saltmarshes [Tidal wetland (non-forested, wetland)]

Range: Newfoundland south to New Brunswick and Maine.

Aids to Identification: Glassworts are succulent, fleshy plants with opposite leaves and jointed stems that are found in saline environments. The leaves are very small and scale-like. The flowers are tiny and are sunken into the stem. S. maritima has scarious (thin and dry in texture, not green) margins of leaves less than 0.3 mm wide. The inflorescences are swollen and rounded near the apex.

Ecological characteristics: Found growing in coastal saltmarshes.

Phenology: Flowering late summer and early fall.

Family: Amaranthaceae

Synonyms: Salicornia prostrata, sensu Standley (1916).

Known Distribution in Maine: There are no documented occurrences of this species in Maine.

Reason(s) for rarity: At southern edge of range; scarcity of habitat.

Conservation considerations: Hydrologic alteration of saltmarshes could pose threat to populations.