Tecticornia arbuscula
(R. Br.) Moq.
Shrubby glasswort, Scrubby samphire
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) SBERRY, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by SBERRY
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) James Bailey, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by James Bailey
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc-sa
(c) Tindo2, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
Summary
Source: WikipediaTecticornia arbuscula, the shrubby glasswort or scrubby samphire, is a species of plant in the family Amaranthaceae, native to Australia. It is a shrub that grows to 2 metres in height, with a spreading habit. It has succulent swollen branchlets with small leaf lobes. The species occurs on shorelines in coastal or estuarine areas or in salt marshes, especially marshes subject to occasional inundation by the ocean. It has a patchy distribution across south coastal Australia, occurring in southern Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. Seeds of the species are enclosed in a hard, vaguely pyramid-shaped pericarp which reveal 1.5 mm long, narrow seeds. these seeds appear as golden brown, transparent and unornamented. Originally published by Robert Brown under the name Salicornia arbuscula, it was transferred into Sclerostegia by Paul G. Wilson in 1980, before being merged into Tecticornia in 2007.
Description
A shrub. It grows 2 m tall. It is spreading. The small branches are succulent and swollen. It has small leaf lobes. The seeds are in a hard, pyramid shaped case. The seeds are narrow and 1.5 mm long.
Edible Uses
The leaves are edible.
Known Hazards
None noted.
Distribution
It is a temperate plant. It grows on shorelines and salt marshes.
Where It Grows
Australia*, Tasmania*,
Notes
Also put in the family Chenopodiaceae.
Synonyms
References (1)
- Potts, B.M., Kantvilas, G., and Jarman, S.J. (eds), 2006, Janet Somerville's Botanical History of Tasmania. Univ. of Tas. & Tas Museum. p 27, 177 (As Arthrocnemum arbuscula)
