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Batis maritima
Saltwort
Turtleweed
Florida native
A frequent plant of coastal strands, salt flats, marshes and mangroves in many of the coastal counties in Florida plus Marion County. The range includes the southeastern coastal states from North Carolina to Texas, plus California, and south into northern South America plus the Caribbean. Also found on some Pacific Islands, including Hawaii where it is believed to have been introduced.
Saltwort usually less than 1m (~3 ft.) tall with branching stems that can root at the nodes and tips. The opposite leaves are succulent flattened cylinders with a rounded tip. The separate male and female flowers are inconspicuous and appear in coneline spikes. The fruit is a syncarp, looking like a tiny green potato.
Batis maritima is a member of the Bataceae - Saltwort family.
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (Institute for Systemic Botany) profile for this species
USDA Plant Profile for this species
Date record last modified: Jun 05, 2020
