The glasswort is the most widespread annual halophytic plant in the Sečovlje salt pans. Due to the salty environment, it suffers from a shortage of fresh water and adapts to accumulate it in the stem. The leaves and flowers are atrophic and only some of their individual parts are observable.
These plants, also known as fleshy plants, grow in very salty environments and are therefore among the plant species that survive in extreme conditions.