A patchy, local annual on sandy soil in upper coastal salt marsh. Hemiparasitic, with Batis and Salicornia (two species of pickleweed) as host plants.
It is halophylic, concentrating and excreting salts that produce a grainy crust on the foliage (left). The fruit is a capsule containing brown net-textured seeds

Federal Status: Endangered
California Status: Endangered
CNPS Status: 1B.2 (rare, threatened, or endangered in CA and elsewhere).