It is an annual herb producing an erect, branching stem which is jointed at many internodes.

Each flower is made up of a fused pocket of sepals enclosing the stamens and stigmas, and no petals.

[6] This plant is gaining scientific attention for its potential to serve as an oil crop that can be grown in desert environments and maintained with water containing high levels of salts.

[11] Salicornia has numerous health benefits and some of its bioactive metabolites have important pharmaceutical applications.

[14] Fields of the plant have been grown in wastewater from aquaculture farms in Eritrea and harvested for animal feed.