Sarcocornia pacifica
Sarcocornia utahensis
American glasswort, Pacific swampfire, perennial saltwort, pickleweed, woody glasswort
Utah swampfire
1.2–1.5 mm, pubescent;
hairs curved or hooked, longer hairs 1–2 mm.
1.3–1.5 mm, smooth except for straight conic papillae on edge;
papillae 0.6–0.9 mm.
stems erect or procumbent, creeping and sometimes rooting at base, 10–50 cm;
stems sparingly to much-branched, younger branches with fleshy segments 5–20 × 2–4 mm.
stems procumbent to erect, rhizomatous (rhizomes often long creeping), 10–30 cm;
young branches with fleshy segments 5–20 × 2–3 mm.
spikes: larger with 12–40 segments, 20–85 mm.
spikes: larger ones with 3–20 fertile segments, 10–40 mm.
segments: larger 2–4.5 × 2.5–3.8 mm;
central flowers 1.6–2.8 × 1–2.5 mm;
anthers 0.7–1 mm.
segments: larger 2.5–4 × 2.5–4 mm;
central flowers 1.5–2.7 × 2.2–3.5 mm;
anthers 0.9–1.8 mm.
Sarcocornia pacifica
Sarcocornia utahensis
Sarcocornia pacifica appears to be endemic to the Americas, although its precise delimitation and distribution are unclear. Well-grown plants can be easily recognized by the long terminal spikes, but depauperate plants are difficult to distinguish from S. perennis. The name Salicornia virginica has often been applied to this species.
Salicornia ambigua Michaux, Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 2. 1803, may be the earliest name for this species, although it could also be a synonym of Sarcocornia perennis. Until the taxonomy of the east-coast plants of the genus has been resolved, the application of Michaux’s binomial is uncertain.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Sarcocornia utahensis has also been reported from Arizona and eastern California. No specimens have been seen from these states but it might be expected to occur in both. A vegetative specimen seen from se Oregon is probably S. utahensis.
P. C. Standley (1916) reported the European species Sarcocornia fruticosa (Linnaeus) A. J. Scott [as Salicornia fruticosa Linnaeus] from Louisiana, but no specimens of this species have been seen from North America. The seeds of S. fruticosa are most similar to those of S. utahensis, so it seems possible that Standley mistook a Louisiana collection of S. utahensis for S. fruticosa. Reports of Salicornia virginica and S. perennis from the coast of Texas are mostly referable to Sarcocornia utahensis, so it is probable that S. utahensis occurs more widely on the Gulf of Mexico.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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