Suaeda australis

(R. Br.) Moq.

Southern Seablite, Austral Seablite

Amaranthaceae Edible: Leaves 2,190 iNaturalist observations

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

iNaturalist· cc-by

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

Summary

Suaeda australis, the austral seablite, is a species of plant in the family Amaranthaceae, native to Australia.It was first described in 1810 by Robert Brown as Chenopodium australe. In 1831 Alfred Moquin-Tandon transferred it to the genus, Suaeda, to give its present name.

Description

A small succulent shrub. It grows 20-50 cm tall. It is woody at the base. It can be upright or spreading. The leaves are fleshy and green. They are 1-3 cm long by 2 mm wide. Older stems and leaves can be pink, red or purple. The leaves can be opposite or alternate. The upper leaves are smaller. The flowers are small and green. They are 3 mm across. The flowers are rounded and there are several together at the base of the uppermost leaves.

Edible Uses

Stem tips can be eaten raw. They have a salty flavour with a crisp and pleasant texture, work well in salads, and can also be boiled as a vegetable, at which point they taste similar to salty beans. Young shoots can be pickled.

Traditional Uses

The leaves can be eaten raw. They can also be cooked. Boiling in several changes of water reduces the saltiness. They can also be pickled.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

None known.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It can grow in subtropical places. It grows on seashores or beach sandy places and mangrove forest margins. It grows in salt marshes. It grows among inter-tidal rocks. Tasmania Herbarium.

Where It Grows

Australia*, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Tasmania*,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from cuttings. They need salty soils to grow well. They can also be grown from seed.

Propagation

Sow seed in spring directly in situ.

Other Uses

None known.

Notes

There are about 100 Suaeda species. Also put in the family Chenopodiaceae.

Synonyms

Chenopodium australe R. Br.Suaeda maritima var. australis (R.Br.) Domin.

Also Known As

Nan fang jian peng

References (20)

Alice, L. & O'Quinn, T., Australian Bush Superfoods. Explore Australia p 158
Caton, J.M. & Hardwick, R. J., 2016, Field Guide to Useful Native Plants from Temperate Australia. Harbour Publishing House. p 100
Cherikoff V. & Isaacs, J., The Bush Food Handbook. How to gather, grow, process and cook Australian Wild Foods. Ti Tree Press, Australia p 197
Curtis, W.M., 1993, The Student's Flora of Tasmania. Part 3 St David's Park Publishing, Tasmania, p 580
Dashorst, G.R.M., and Jessop, J.P., 1998, Plants of the Adelaide Plains & Hills. Botanic Gardens of Adelaide and State Herbarium. p 62

Show all 20 references

Flora of Australia, Volume 4, Phytolaccaceae to Chenopodiaceae, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra (1984) p 313
Hardwick, R.J., 2000, Nature's Larder. A Field Guide to the Native Food Plants of the NSW South Coast. Homosapien Books. p 42
Harris, S., Buchanan, A., Connolly, A., 2001, One Hundred Islands: The Flora of the Outer Furneaux. Tas Govt. p 235
Hastings Advance Community College, 2017, Uses for Native Plants of the Mornington Peninsula. 86pp. p 71
Howells, C & Gulline, H., 2003, Coastal Plants of Tasmania. Plant Identikit. Australian Plant Society, Tasmania. p 35
Low, T., 1991, Wild Food Plants of Australia. Australian Nature FieldGuide, Angus & Robertson. p 26
Low, T., 1992, Bush Tucker. Australia’s Wild Food Harvest. Angus & Robertson. p 137
Melzer, R. & Plumb, J., 2011, Plants of Capricornia. Belgamba, Rockhampton. p 518
Paczkowska, G. & Chapman, A.R., 2000, The Western Australian Flora. A Descriptive Catalogue. Western Australian Herbarium. p 208
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
Ryan, M. (Ed.), 2003, Wild Plants of Greater Brisbane. Queensland Museum. p 41
Tasmanian Herbarium Vascular Plants list p 22
Whiting, J. et al, 2004, Tasmania's Natural Flora. Tasmania's Natural Flora Editorial Committee PO Box 194, Ulverstone, Tasmania, Australia 7315 p 47
Woolmore, E et al, 2002, King Island Flora: A Field Guide. p 39
Zhu Gelin (Chu Ge-ling); Steven E. Clemants, CHENOPODIACEAE [Draft], Flora of China