Common Name

European Sea-heath

Family

Frankeniaceae

Notes

Introduced prostrate annual forb, stems to 40cm long. Leaves opposite each other, with membranous stipules at the base, which encircle the stem. Leaves 0.2-0.6cm long, 1.2-2.8mm wide, exuding salt, upper surface hairless, lower surface hairy, margins turned down to rolled down. Flowers pink, tubular, with 5 petals, solitary at the bases of the leaves or in open groups of flowers at the bases of the leaves and the ends of the stems, each flower subtended by a whorl of 4 leaf-like bracts.

Differentiation between the species of Frankenia is based on details of the ovaries, beyond the scope of this key.

eFloraSA description: http://www.flora.sa.gov.au/cgi-bin/speciesfacts_display.cgi?form=speciesfacts&name=Frankenia_pulverulenta