Print Report

CEGL002923 Salicornia depressa - Brassica nigra Salt Marsh

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Virginia Glasswort - Black Mustard Salt Marsh

Colloquial Name: No Data Available

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This association is only known from the Santa Monica Mountains region and occurs on flat to gentle slopes of variable aspect at low elevations between 0 and 5 m. Brassica nigra is characteristically abundant in the herbaceous layer. Salicornia depressa is characteristically abundant in the shrub layer, and Frankenia salina is also often present at low cover in this layer.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: This association represents the local expression of the coastal salt marsh edge, where adjacent weedy herbaceous vegetation borders upon it. The marsh edge position of this association is also indicated by the presence of several typically upland shrubby species such as Atriplex lentiformis, Baccharis pilularis, and Opuntia oricola. It is likely that such weedy marginal associations occur in other southern California coastal salt marshes and would be recognized with local stand-level sampling. The field crews placed Salicornia spp. in the shrub layer when doing species cover and total shrub cover estimates, while many species in this genus are traditionally considered perennial herbaceous vegetation.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: Stands of this association at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area form an open to intermittent herbaceous layer (13-42%, mean 29.7%) at 0.01-1 m tall. The shrub layer is sparse to open (0-24%, mean 8.7%) at 0-5 m tall. Total vegetation cover is 30-43%; mean cover is 38.3%. In this association, the herbaceous layer is open to intermittent with Salicornia depressa (= Salicornia virginica) dominant, and Brassica nigra is characteristically subdominant to codominant. Polypogon monspeliensis, Raphanus sativus, Carpobrotus edulis, Melilotus officinalis (= Melilotus albus), Bromus madritensis, and Galium aparine are occasionally included in this layer. Frankenia salina, Atriplex lentiformis, Baccharis pilularis, and Myoporum laetum are often present in the shrub layer and usually at low cover.

Dynamics:  Until further inventory is completed, there is no global information.
Environmental Description:  Until further inventory is completed, there is no global information.
Geographic Range: This association is only known from the Santa Monica Mountains region. Information about its global distribution is not available without additional inventory.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  CA


Confidence Level: Low

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G4

Greasons: No Data Available
Type Name Database Code Classification Code
Class 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class C02 2
Subclass 2.C Shrub & Herb Wetland Subclass S44 2.C
Formation 2.C.5 Salt Marsh Formation F035 2.C.5
Division 2.C.5.Nc Temperate & Boreal Pacific Coastal Salt Marsh Division D035 2.C.5.Nc
Macrogroup 2.C.5.Nc.1 North American Pacific Coastal Salt Marsh Macrogroup M081 2.C.5.Nc.1
Group 2.C.5.Nc.1.a Lyngbye''s Sedge - Cosmopolitan Bulrush - Sea-milkwort Salt Marsh Group G499 2.C.5.Nc.1.a
Alliance A3902 Pacific Swampfire - California Cordgrass - Sea-milkwort Salt Marsh Alliance A3902 2.C.5.Nc.1.a
Association CEGL002923 Virginia Glasswort - Black Mustard Salt Marsh CEGL002923 2.C.5.Nc.1.a
Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Salicornia virginica-Brassica nigra Herbaceous Association (Keeler-Wolf and Evens 2006)
= Sarcocornia pacifica - Brassica nigra (Sawyer et al. 2009) [52.215.15]
>< Coastal Brackish Marsh (#52200) (Holland 1986b)
>< Coastal Salt Marsh (#52100) (Holland 1986b)
Concept Author(s): T. Keeler-Wolf and J. Evens (2006)

Author of Description: T. Keeler-Wolf and J. Evens

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 11-10-05
  • Ball, P. W. 2003a. Salicornia. Pages 382-384 in: Flora of North America Editorial Committee, editors. Flora of North America North of Mexico. Volume 4. Oxford University Press, New York.
  • Holland, R. F. 1986b. Preliminary descriptions of the terrestrial natural communities of California. Unpublished report prepared for the California Department of Fish and Game, Nongame-Heritage Program and Natural Diversity Database, Sacramento. 156 pp.
  • Keeler-Wolf, T., and J. Evens. 2006. Vegetation classification of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and environs in Ventura and Los Angeles counties, California. A report submitted to National Park Service, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area by California Department of Fish and Game, Wildlife and Habitat Data Analysis Branch and The California Native Plant Society, Vegetation Program, Sacramento, CA.
  • Sawyer, J. O., T. Keeler-Wolf, and J. Evens. 2009. A manual of California vegetation. Second edition. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento CA. 1300 pp.
  • Weakley, A. S. 2012. Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, Georgia, and surrounding areas. Unpublished working draft. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. [http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/flora.htm]
  • Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.
  • Zedler, J. B. 1982. The ecology of southern California coastal salt marshes: A community profile. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Biological Services Program, Washington, D.C. FWS/OBS-81/54. 110 pp.