Caroxylon littoralis (Moq.) Akhani & Roalson

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Photo: Sune Holt
Vilankulo, Inhambane, Mozambique

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Synonyms:	Salsola littoralis Moq. Salsola sp. A sensu FZ 9(1), pp. 159-160
Common names:
Frequency:	Rare
Status:	Native
Description:	Low, spreading or prostrate subshrub with prominent tap-root; young stems herbaceous, with green bark; older stems woody, with brown bark, 3–4 (-5) mm in diameter. Branches opposite, when young densely to scarcely pubescent with long, multi-cellular, white hairs, soon becoming almost glabrous. Leaves opposite, scale-like, succulent, imbricate on young stems, on older stems margin almost always ciliate, with thickened, pale and translucent midrib and translucent margins, apex rounded or obtusely pointed. Flowers solitary in the axils of bracts and surrounded by two lateral bracteoles. Bracteoles ovoid, with midrib and margins as the bracts, approximately two-thirds of the length of the perianth. Perianth with five green, membranous segments at anthesis. Stamens 5; filaments attached below a hypogynous disk, filiform or slightly flattened; anthers slightly longer than filaments, saccate at the base, narrowing towards the apex, which is prolonged into a 0.1 mm long, white appendage. Fruit a 2 mm long achene with brown shell.
Notes:	Only known from Inhambane province. In FZ referred to as "Salsola sp. A".
Derivation of specific name:	littoralis: of the seashore
Habitat:	Hard coral rocks exposed to full sunshine during low-tide and immersed by seawater during high tide.
Altitude range:	Up to 1 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Madagascar, Île Europa and Mozambique
Mozambique distribution:	GI
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:	Near Endemic
Red data list status:	Lower Risk - near threatened
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Tuesday 6 December 2016
Literature:	Brenan, J.P.M. (1988). Chenopodiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(1) Pages 159 - 161. As Salsola sp. A Darbyshire, I., Timberlake, J., Osborne, J., Rokni, S., Matimele, H., Langa. C., Datizua, C., de Sousa, C., Alves, T., Massingue, A., Hadj-Hammou, J., Dhanda, S., Shah, T., Wursten, B. (2019). The endemic plants of Mozambique: diversity and conservation status Phytotaxa 136 Page 79. Friis, I. & Holt, S. (2016). Salsola sp. A of Flora Zambesiaca from the coast of Mozambique is Caroxylon littoralis (Amaranthaceae subfam. Salsoloideae), hitherto only known from Madagascar Webbia: Journal of Plant Taxonomy and Geography

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External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Caroxylon littoralis
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Caroxylon littoralis
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Caroxylon littoralis
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Caroxylon littoralis
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Caroxylon littoralis
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Caroxylon littoralis
JSTOR Plant Science: Caroxylon littoralis
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Caroxylon littoralis
Plants of the World Online: Caroxylon littoralis
Tropicos: Caroxylon littoralis
Wikipedia: Caroxylon littoralis