Andy,

I have had some experience of identifying Salicornias and have been
consulting with Francis Rose and also using the excellent key in The Plant
Crib, Rich & Jermy.

I have looked at your picture and consider that the red salicornia on the
left is Salicornia ramosissima. The other one is probably the same species
as it also has a waisted appearance and of a similar size. Not all of the
plants turn red at the same time. If it were smaller and more delicate and
only had a single flower rather than a group of three and if it were at the
top edge of the saltmarsh then it would be Salicornia pusilla. However
please note that there is a prostrate form of S ramosissima which may be
confused with it and also note that S ramosissima and S pusilla hybridize and
in this case some flowers are in groups of three and others are single.
These are generally in the fixed part of the saltmarsh and a completely
different range of plants occupy the bare mud.

Salicornia europaea, which has slenderer branches but forms a larger plant.

Salicornia fragilis and Salicornia dolichostachya which re not waisted and
usually dull.

Salicornia obscura and Slicornia nitens (Not too sure about these two)

and finally Sarcocornia perennis, which has some infertile shoots as well as
flowering ones and usually forms a bushy clump.

None are scheduled although a couple are classed as scarce, because of their
limited distribution. They can only be accurately determined for the short
period from flowering until the first frost, usually the month of October.
If you need to get determination they travel well through the post if placed
in a slightly inflated sealed plastic bag. Experiments with freeze drying to
obtain a reference collection have so far not been successful as the plants
dry out and most characteristics are lost.

Please get in touch if I can help in any other ways.

Pete Selby
BSBI VC Recorder S Hampshire