# New Publication - Taxonomic Assessment and Neotypification of Salicornia utahensis July 28, 2026 *Salicornia utahensis* is a small, salt-loving glasswort that grows around salty lakes and flats in the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico, including the Great Salt Lake area. It helps structure these harsh ecosystems and is of interest for future salt-tolerant crops. The original specimen used to define this species, collected in 1912 near Grantsville, Utah, was lost, creating a long‑standing uncertainty about exactly which plant the name really referred to. Esteban Ramírez Chueca, postdoctoral fellow in the Davis Lab at HUH, and colleagues, went back to the Grantsville area in 2025, collected fresh specimens from matching salty habitats, and officially chose one of these as a *neotype*, a new reference specimen that replaces the lost original. They documented the plant’s form, its distinctive seed surface under the microscope, and analyzed its DNA. The results of this trip, recently published in *Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden,* show that *Salicornia utahensis* is a clearly distinct inland species, different from related coastal glassworts like *Salicornia pacifica*. By fixing a new type specimen and clarifying its features and relationships, the study stabilizes the name and makes future ecological and applied research on this desert salt specialist much more reliable. ![first page of publication](/sites/g/files/omnuum6796/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2026-08/2026_Ramirez_Salicornia.png?itok=CJGvcKFp) **Taxonomic Assessment and Neotypification of** ***Salicornia utahensis*** **(Amaranthaceae: Salicornioideae)** **Abstract**: *Salicornia utahensis* Tidestr. is a perennial halophyte inhabiting saline habitats of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The original type, *Kearney & Shantz 3249* (1912; Grantsville, Utah), cited in literature as deposited at US herbarium, is no longer extant, and no duplicates have been located despite extensive searches. In July 2025, we visited the area near Grantsville corresponding as closely as possible to the locus classicus in order to assess extant populations and collect repre­sentative material in optimal phenological condition. A neotype is designated here in accordance with Articles 7.11, 9.8, 9.13, and 9.19(a) of the International Code of Nomenclature (Turland et al., 2025) to ensure nomenclatural stability and maintain the traditional usage of the name. In addition, we provide morphological, micromorphological, ecological, and ETS-based phyloge­netic evidence, which further clarifies the identity and taxonomic position of the species. **Ramírez Chueca, Esteban**, Vicenta de la Fuente, and **Daniel Sánchez-Mata**. “Taxonomic Assessment and Neotypification of *Salicornia utahensis* (Amaranthaceae: Salicornioideae).” *Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden*, vol. 111, 2026, pp. 81–88. Share on:- [ Facebook ](#) - [ Twitter ](#) - [ Linkedin ](#)