Tecticornia arbuscula

(R. Br.) Moq.

Shrubby glasswort, Scrubby samphire

AmaranthaceaeLeavesPotential hazards — see below
Caution — Parts of this plant may be toxic or require specific preparation. Verify with multiple sources before consuming.
Tecticornia arbuscula
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(c) SBERRY, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by SBERRY
Tecticornia arbuscula
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(c) James Bailey, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by James Bailey
Tecticornia arbuscula
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(c) Tindo2, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)

What to Eat

Edible parts: Leaves

The leaves are edible.

Known Hazards

None noted.

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant. It grows on shorelines and salt marshes.

Australia*, Tasmania*,

Countries: Australia

How to Identify

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.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Tecticornia 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.

Notes

Also put in the family Chenopodiaceae.

Names & Synonyms
Salicornia arbuscula R.Br.Arthrocnemum arbuscula (R. Br.) Moq.Sclerostegia arbuscula (R.Br.) Paul G.Wilson
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)

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