Sarcocornia A.J. Scott

Perennial herbs or shrubs, glabrous, seemingly leafless, apparently built up of numerous, superposed, more or less tubular segments succulent and usually green or greenish to reddish, ultimately shrivelling and falling away from the stem; each segment at apex forming a little cup, usually with two short teeth or lobes, embracing the base of the next higher segment. Fertile segments aggregated into spikes at ends of stem and lateral branches. Spikes persistent or breaking up irregularly, not regularly disarticulating. Flowers minute 3 (7–12) together in a cluster, a pair of clusters to each fertile segment, the clusters on opposite sides and flush with the segments. Perianth minutely and irregularly 3-lobed at apex, or more usually on a truncate flattened lateral shield. Seeds with soft membranous testa, minutely hairy or papillose. Embryo folded so that radicle and cotyledonous point downwards.

Worldwide: 15 species, in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas.

Mozambique: 4 taxa.