Sarcocornia quinqueflora

Common name: 

Beaded Glasswort

Family: 

Amaranthaceae
(alternate family: Chenopodiaceae)

Distribution (from Flora of Victoria):

Lowan Mallee, ?Wannon, ?Otway Range, Gippsland Plain, ?East Gippsland, Gippsland Highlands, Snowfields (ABCDEGHJKNPSTWXZ) all states except NT

Map - Australia's Virtual Herbarium

Distribution and ecological preference at Wilsons Promontory (if known):

Saltmarsh1

Flower description:

Small green flowers2

Habit:

Prostrate shrub to 0.5 m1

Distinguishing characteristics (within family/genus):

This species has spikes of 5-9 flowers in a single row. There are two subspecies present in Victoria, Sarcocornia quinqueflora subsp. tasmanica has tufted branches and seeds with acute hairs. Sarcocornia quinqueflora subsp. quinqueflora has a decumbent habit with hooked hairs on the seeds2

Images:
Image of Sarcocornia quinqueflora
Image of Sarcocornia quinqueflora
Image of Sarcocornia quinqueflora Image: Mary Ellis
Links to more images:

Atlas of Living Australia

Links to description of this species:

DEPI

FloraBase

Conservation status:

Sarcocornia quinqueflora subsp. tasmanica is poorly known in Victoria and is suspected to be either rare, vulnerable, endangered or extinct

References:

1 Ellis, M. (unpublished). “A Field Guide to South Gippsland Flora”.
2 Walsh, N. G. and Entwisle, T. J. “Flora of Victoria”, volumes 2 (1994), 3 (1996) and 4 (1999). Inkata Press, Port Melbourne, Victoria