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alkali heath, alkali heath or seaheath, alkali seaheath, yerba reuma

European sea-heath, wisp-weed

Habit Subshrubs, sprawling, 1.2–6 dm; branches glabrous, or puberulous or short-pilose, hairs erect or suberect. Herbs, annual, often prostrate, to 1.5(–3) dm; branches glabrous or puberulous, hairs erect, usually curved, sometimes straight.
Leaves

petiole (0.5–)0.7–2(–2.5) mm, not markedly tapering toward blade, apex ± similar in width to or narrower than base of blade;

blade grayish yellow-green, usually obovate to narrowly oblanceolate, oblong-elliptic to linear, sometimes ovate or lanceolate, flat, 3–13.5 × 0.9–6(–7) mm, margins slightly to loosely revolute, abaxial surface mostly exposed, adaxial surface scattered-hairy to puberulous.

petiole 0.8–2 mm, markedly tapering toward blade, apex narrower than base of blade;

blade gray-green, usually narrowly obovate or obovate to elliptic or oblong-elliptic, sometimes orbiculate, flat, 2–7 × 1–3 mm, margins slightly to loosely revolute, abaxial surface mostly exposed, adaxial surface usually glabrous, sometimes glabrate.

Inflorescences

usually compound, sometimes simple dichasia, sometimes solitary flowers.

Flowers

calyx 2.5–4.5 mm, lobes 5, 0.5–1 mm;

petals 5, pink to violet, oblong-oblanceolate to spatulate, 2.5–5.2 mm;

stamens 6, included to ± exserted, 1.7–3.5 mm;

anthers yellow;

style included to ± exserted, 3-branched;

ovary 3-carpellate;

ovules 25–60, attached along sutures, funiculi erect.

Seeds

20–60 per capsule, oblong-ellipsoid, 0.4–0.7 mm.

2n

= 20.

Frankenia salina

Frankenia pulverulenta

Phenology Flowering Apr–Nov. Flowering May–Sep.
Habitat Saline and alkaline soil, salt marshes, alkali flats Ballast, moist, saline soil
Elevation 0–800 m (0–2600 ft) 0–1300 m (0–4300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; NV; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Coahuila, San Luis Potosí, Sonora); South America (Chile) [Introduced in Pacific Islands (Hawaii)]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; MA; NJ; OR; UT; Eurasia; Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also in South America and Australia]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Frankenia salina, as circumscribed here, occurs in the United States, Mexico, and Chile. The North American and South American populations, which previously had been recognized as F. grandifolia and F. salina respectively, are now considered conspecific (M. A. Whalen 1987). In North America, F. salina occurs in California, Nevada, and Mexico (Baja California and Sonora, with some highly disjunct populations in Coahuila and San Luis Potosí). In California, it occurs in both coastal and inland areas and is common in coastal salt marshes. The inland and coastal populations have sometimes been recognized as F. grandifolia var. campestris and var. grandifolia, respectively. Plants from inland regions tend to have proportionally narrower leaves and shorter, lighter-colored petals than those from coastal regions; there is considerable variation in these traits within regions (Whalen) and these infraspecific taxa are not recognized here. Frankenia salina was introduced on Tern Island in Hawaii, where it was collected in 1968 (Herbst 1217 BISH); W. L. Wagner et al. (1990) noted that this population did not survive a 1969 storm.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

In the United States, Frankenia pulverulenta is introduced and has been rarely collected on the east and west coasts and near Salt Lake City, Utah, where recent attempts to relocate it were unsuccessful (N. H. Holmgren 2005c).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 6, p. 411. FNA vol. 6, p. 411.
Parent taxa Frankeniaceae > Frankenia Frankeniaceae > Frankenia
Sibling taxa
F. jamesii, F. johnstonii, F. palmeri, F. pulverulenta
F. jamesii, F. johnstonii, F. palmeri, F. salina
Synonyms Ocimum salinum, F. grandifolia, F. grandifolia subsp. campestris, F. grandifolia var. campestris
Name authority (Molina) I. M. Johnston: Contr. Gray Herb. 70: 92. (1924) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 332. (1753)
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