Salicornia virginica.Larry Allain @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database (Accessed 5/2014).

Salicornia virginica is a perennial C3 (Jacobs 2001), herb from underground stems (rhizomes), main stems hard or woody, prostrate, mat-forming with erect flowering stems to 30 cm tall. 

Leaves reduced to small, blunt, opposite scales at nodes. 

Flowers inconspicuous, minute, in groups of three, in pits above scales at ends of branches; inflorescence of spikes 1-4 cm long, 0.3 cm wide. 

Fruit enclosed in old calyx, tiny, seeds to 0.1 cm. 

Wetland status: OBL. 

Frequency in NYC: Very infrequent. 

Origin: Native. 

Habitat: Low salt marsh. Soil pH 6.6-8.5 (USDA, NRCS. 2004).