Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across Canada to northeastern North America.

Habitat: Coastal salt marshes.

Flowers: July-November

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Annual

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bees, flies

Very leafy annual or biennial, the stems prostrate or spreading, freely branched, 1-3 dm. long.

Leaves alternate, usually overlapping, gradually reduced upward, the short petiole jointed; leaf blades elliptic-linear to elliptic-oblanceolate, rounded, 1.5-3 cm. long and 3-10 mm. wide, firm; stipules sheathing, lacerate, 3-6 mm. long.

Flowers in closely packed, short, few-flowered, axillary racemes, exceeded by the bracts; pedicles 1-3 mm. long; the 5 perianth segments 3 mm. long, attached 1/3 their length, greenish with pink margins, oblong; styles 3, very short.

Achene 3-angled, lance-ovoid, olive green to yellowish-brown, smooth and shining.