Suaeda Forskâl ex Scop. Suaeda vera, J. F. Gmelin

23. Suaeda Forskâl ex Scop. 1

Annual or perennial herbs or small shrubs, glabrous or farinose. Leaves usually alternate, semicylindrical or flat. Flowers hermaphrodite and female, solitary or in few-flowered cymes; bracteoles 2, minute. Perianth-segments 5, fleshy, sometimes with a small tubercle, or horns, or a narrow transverse wing on the back in fruit; stamens 5; stigmas 2-3(-5). Seeds vertical or horizontal.

Several species can produce dimorphic seeds. The first-formed are black, shining, smooth or with a fine pattern on the testa; the later-formed are larger, light brown or olive, dull, with a distinct coarse reticulum on the testa. The seeds referred to in this account are always the first-formed seeds.

All the species occur in saline habitats.

1 Fruiting perianth of the upper flowers transversely winged, that of the lower flowers usually keeled

2 Leaves linear-semicylindrical, not more than 1-5 mm in diameter; bracts ovate, acute, much shorter than the leaves 13. heterophylla

2 Leaves and bracts similar, flat, ovate to oblong, up to 5 mm wide, obtuse 14. kossinskyi

1 Fruiting perianth not transversely winged

3 Fruiting perianth with 1 or 2 horns on the back, the upper often almost stellate 8. corniculata

3 Fruiting perianth not horned (occasionally with tubercles)

4 Peduncle of the cyme connate with the bract

5 Small shrub; leaves 3-16 mm 4. dendroides

5 Annual herb; leaves 12-30 mm

6 Leaves c. 0-5 mm in diameter, cylindrical 10. altissima

6 Leaves 1-3 mm wide, flat 7 Fruiting perianth with a slight tubercle on the back; seeds granular 11. linifolia 7 Fruiting perianth with a transverse keel on the back; seeds smooth 12. eltonica

4 Peduncle of the cyme not connate with the bract

8 Seeds with a distinct fine pattern on the testa

9 Small shrub; perianth inflated in fruit 3. physophora

9 Annual herb, sometimes ±woody at the base; perianth not inflated 7. maritima

8 Seeds smooth or very indistinctly patterned

10 Leaves with a slender caducous apex (up to 1 mm); fruiting perianth rugose 9. splendens

10 Leaves obtuse, acute or shortly acuminate, but without a caducous apex; fruiting perianth smooth 11 Perianth-segments very inflated, red in fruit 6. baccifera 11 Perianth-segments not inflated in fruit, usually green 12 Annual, sometimes woody at base; longest leaves usually more than 20 mm; stigmas 2(-3) 13 Leaves acute to mucronate; seeds completely smooth 5. confusa 13 Leaves obtuse or subacute; seeds faintly reticulate 7. maritima 12 Small shrub; longest leaves usually less than 15 mm; stigmas 3

14 Stigmas usually flat, oblong-ovate, lobed or capitate; leaves 5-18 x (0-8—)1—1-5 mm; bracts mostly much longer than the cymes 1. vera 14 Stigmas subulate or filiform; leaves 2-5(-6)xc.

0-5 mm; bracts shorter than or equalling the cymes

2. pruinosa

1. S. vera J. F. Gmelin in L., Syst. Nat. ed. 13, 2(1); 503 (1791)

( S. fruticosa auct.).

Small shrub up to 120 cm. Leaves 5-18 x (0-8-) 1-1-5 mm, semicylindrical, obtuse or shortly apicu- ate, sessile, glaucous. Cymes dense, shorter than the bracts. Stigmas usually flat, oblong-ovate, lobed or capitate. Fruiting perianth usually green, not inflated. Seeds smooth, usually vertical. 5. & W. Europe northwards to c. 53° N. in England. Al BI Br Co Cr G a G r Hs It Ju Lu Sa Si.