Slender glasswort
	Salicornia maritima
	n = 1
	III.B.3.d.  Halophytic Herb Wet Meadow
	Ecosystem: Tidal

Batten, et. al. (1978) and Rosenberg (1986) describe slender glasswort as a component of other communities: a sparse halophytic type, and a seaside arrowgrass (Triglochin maritimum) – creeping alkaligrass (Puccinellia phryganodes) type, respectively. Hanson (1951) documents a creeping alkaligrass - Slender glasswort type.  Glasswort is an abundant North American shoreline plant, but is uncommon in Alaska, collected in only a few locales in Cook Inlet and near Haines (Hultén, 1968).

Slender glasswort (Salicornia maritima) occurs in relatively dense monotypic stands.  The one site we examined is at the mouth of the Kenai river.  It occupies the zone between the lowest saltpannes with stickystem pearlwort (Sagina maxima) and higher alkaligrass flats.  

Creeping alkaligrass is present in low abundance, and bare soil is abundant.  

An 48 cm thick organic horizon was found at the site.  Organic soils of the Clunie series are common, although some sites have soils with low organic content (Vince and Snow, 1984).  The water table was not encountered, but this site is frequently flooded during high tides.  It is a jurisdictional wetland.

Table 1.  Summary of plant cover.

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