Sarcocornia diversified in salt-laden environments worldwide, repeatedly evolving superficially similar prostrate, mat-forming habits that seem advantageous in stressed environments with prolonged flooding, high tidal movement and frost. Some of these prostrate-habit types might be considered as ecotypes (e.g. S. pacifica or S. pillansii) while others represent good ecospecies (e.g. S. perennis, S. decumbens, S. capensis), hence representing different stages of speciation.

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The European endemic Soldanella has traditionally been divided into two morphologically well-defined sections. Section Tubiflores contains two species growing in high-elevation habitats, whereas most of the 14 species of section Soldanella inhabit montane forests. Section Tubiflores has a reduced floral morphology compared with section Soldanella. A previous phylogenetic study based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and AFLP data has revealed that, although the genus Soldanella itself is monophyletic, both sections are paraphyletic. Soldanella alpina (section Soldanella) forms a clade with S. minima and S. pusilla (section Tubiflores), and the grouping of S. alpina with S. pusilla has been hypothesized to be the result of hybridization between S. pusilla and an unidentified species of section Soldanella. We re-examined the phylogenetic relationships among the above species using additional sequence data (plastid DNA) and increasing the sample for ITS and AFLP data. Our new data confirmed that S. alpina is most closely related to S. pusilla. However, our data do not provide any evidence in support of the hypothesis that S. alpina is a hybrid species. In consequence, we consider it likely that the two species of section Tubiflores originated independently. The reduced floral morphology of these two alpine species is probably evidence for increased levels of self-pollination, ensuring reproductive success in a high-altitude habitat.

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Sarcocornia decussata, S. freitagii and S. tegetaria from South Africa are described as new taxa. Sarcocornia decussata and S. freitagii are narrow endemics of the West Coast of South Africa where they are found in inland saline habitats (quartz patches, salt pans and saline alluvia) while S. tegetaria is an endemic of southern African coasts (spanning Namibia, South Africa and Mozambique) where it is confined to low-lying intertidal habitats of estuaries.

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