Salicornia depressa

Virginia glasswort

Family: Chenopodiaceae · Type: annual · Native

Virginia glasswort is a California native annual found in coastal central California, southern California, the Mojave Desert, and western desert regions in salt marshes and alkaline flats at elevations below 610 meters. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces small, inconspicuous flowers in dense, cylindrical green to grayish-green segments. Growing 10 to 70 centimeters tall with erect to prostrate branching stems that form dense, fleshy clusters, it adapts well to highly saline environments. Its leaves are reduced to small, obtuse segments that wrap closely around the succulent stem, creating a distinctive jointed appearance. The plant produces tiny seeds with small hooked hairs, which aid in dispersal across its harsh saltwater habitat.

Habitat: Salt marshes, alkaline flats

Bloom period: Jul-Sep

Elevation: < 610 m

Bioregions: CCo, SCo, MP, w edge DMoj

California counties: Humboldt, Ventura, Marin, Alameda, Contra Costa, Kern, Solano, Santa Clara, Los Angeles, Mendocino, San Bernardino, San Diego, Sonoma, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Orange

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.