Photos: 1, 3 & 4 – levypreserve.org; 2 – www.wildflower.org.

Those exploring Rhode Island’s salt marshes and beaches in late summer and fall will find this herbaceous annual growing 1-3 feet tall along the edge of the high marsh and dunes. Each fleshy deep green leaf is narrow, flat on the upper surface and rounded on the lower surface and alternates along crowded ascending stems. Small greenish flowers with indistinguishable parts are found in the leaf axils.