Family: Amaranthaceae Prickly Saltwort Salsola kali Flowering time: July-September. Annual A coastal species found on the drift-line of sandy and shingle beaches More/less prostrate, very prickly plant, the tiny flowers with 5 sepals and a pair of bracts borne in the leaf axils. Branched stems with narrow succulent leaves tapering to a sharp spine at the tip. Foodplant for caterpillars of the micro-moth Gymnancyla canella

Prickly Saltwort, Salsola kali
Shell Bay, Dorset. September 2013