5(4). Spinose-branched shrubs with Hnear semiterete leaves; embryo spirally 

 coiled; endosperm lacking 5. Sarcobatus 



5. Herbs or shrubs, if shrubby and at all spinose with flattened leaves and with 



an annular embryo surrounding the endosperm (6) 



6(5). Leaves (present at anthesis) linear to very narrowly lanceolate, entire, 

 densely hairy, grayish to rufous; embryo annular, surrounding the 

 endosperm (7) 



6. Leaves at anthesis either broader than very narrowly lanceolate or toothed, 



or not grayish-hairy; embryo sometimes spiral (8) 



7(6). Annual; some or all of the perianth segments in fruit bearing either a 

 dorsal tubercle or a straight hooked spine 6. Bassia 



7. Perennial; perianth segments neither tubercled nor spinose, ultimately hori- 



zontally winged 7. Kochia 



8(6). Embryo spirally coiled; endosperm scant or lacking; leaves linear and more 

 or less terete; flowers all axillary, borne singly or in clusters of 2 

 to 5 along the main stem or in lateral spikes; perianth segments in 

 fruit commonly transversely corrugate or corniculate 8. Suaeda 



8. Embryo annular, usually surrounding a copious endosperm; flowers (at least 



in part) usually in crowded bracteate to ebracteate spikes or pani- 

 cles; perianth segments usually not as above or sometimes wanting 

 (9) 



9(8). Flowers imperfect, the pistillate naked or with a greatly reduced perianth 

 but each subtended and enclosed by 2 accrescent sepaloid bracteoles, 

 the staminate flowers ebracteate and with a 3- to 5-lobed perianth 

 (10) 



9. Flowers mostly perfect and with a regular 3- to 5-lobed perianth (11) 



10(9). Bractlets of the pistillate flowers laterally compressed, narrowly crenulate- 

 winged dorsally, ovate in outline, strongly bidentate at the tip; 



annual with orbicular to rhombic-ovate dentate leaves 



9. Suckleya 



10. Bractlets of the pistillate flowers dorsiventrally compressed, not dorsally 



winged; perennials or annuals with multiform leaves 



10. Atriplex 



1 1(9). Annual; perianth segments not winged in fruit but sometimes keeled 



11. Chenopodium 



11. Perennial; perianth segments becoming carinate and horizontally winged in 



fruit 7. Kochia 



1. Salicornia L. Glasswort. Saladilla 



Erect to spreading or prostrate annual or perennial herbs or subshrubs, often 

 suffrutescent and succulent; stems much-branched, glabrous, fleshy, with opposite 

 articulate branches, the joints dilated at the apex into a short sheath; leaves scale- 

 like, opposite; flowers perfect or polygamous, sunk in the cavities of the inter- 

 nodes, 3 to 7 together on opposite sides of the joints, partly crowded by the 

 sheathing fleshy bracts, the flowering joints forming cylindric terminal spikes, 

 the flowers usually connate and adnate to the joints; perianth obpyramidal, fleshy, 

 with a 3- or 4-toothed or truncate border, spongiose in fruit; stamens 1 or 2, 

 the anthers exserted and didymous, the filaments filiform or subulate; style 

 lacerate above or ending in 2 to 4 subulate stigmas; ovule subsessile; utricle in- 

 cluded in the perianth, ovoid or oblong, the pericarp membranaceous, irregular 

 dehiscent; seed erect, oblong or ellipsoid, compressed, covered with short or long 

 straight or curved hairs; endosperm none; embryo conduplicate; radicle inferior. 



About 35 species in temperate and tropical regions of both hemispheres. 



835 



