Suaeda occidentalis

Western seablite

Family: Chenopodiaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3

Western seablite is a rare (CNPS 2B.3) California native annual found in the Great Basin and Mojave Desert in dry, saline or alkaline wetlands at elevations below 2,200 meters. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces small green to reddish flowers clustered in branched inflorescences. Growing with erect stems generally branched near the base, reaching up to 35 centimeters tall with spreading green to dark red branches. Its linear leaves are ascending to spreading, less than 30 millimeters long, and range from green to reddish in color. The plant produces small, shiny black seeds that are horizontally positioned and approximately 1 to 1.5 millimeters in size.

Habitat: Dry, saline or alkaline wetlands

Bloom period: Jul-Sep

Elevation: < 2200 m

Bioregions: GB, DMoj

California counties: San Diego, Butte, Lassen, Mono, Siskiyou

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