Tecticornia arbuscula

Intricately branched shrub to c. 2 m high. Articles of ultimate branches obovoid, 3–10 mm long, bright green, glaucous or reddish; lobes obtuse, often narrowly keeled and slightly incurved, margins entire. Spikes terminal, 3–12 mm long, comprising 2–6 articles similar to but shorter than vegetative ones; flowers fused to each other and to bract above. Fruiting spike not long persistent; fruiting perianth shrivelled, pericarp thick and hard, deltoid in lateral view, tapered to the persistent exserted style; seed elliptic, c. 1.5 mm long, testa smooth. Flowers mostly Jul.–Sep.