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James' Seaheath (Frankenia jamesii)

Description

The Frankeniaceae Family is, according to William Weber, "a very ancient family now consisting of four genera of very salt-tolerant heath-like plants. Frankenia, the largest genus, is found widely scattered on seashores and salt deserts in Australia, the Mediterranean region, southern South America, and southwestern North America. The family must have been once much more diversified and widely distributed, but its evolution and dispersal remains a puzzle". This unusual plant is found in open, barren-seeming Gypsum and Manco Shale. It often occurs, as shown in the photograph at the top of this page, in large colonies.

Taxonomic tree

  • Domain: Eukarya

    • Kingdom: Plantae

      • Phylum: Magnoliophyta

        • Class: Magnoliopsida

          • Order: Caryophyllales

            • Family: Frankeniaceae

              • Genus: Frankenia