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Useful Temperate Plants

Sarcocornia fruticosa

(L.) A.J.Scott

Amaranthaceae

+ Synonyms

Arthrocnemum fruticosum (L.) Moq.

Salicornia corticosa (Meyen) Walp.

Salicornia europaea fruticosa L.

Salicornia fruticosa (L.) L.

Salicornia gaudichaudiana Moq.

Salicornia herbacea fruticosa L.

Salicornia peruviana Kunth

Suaeda corticosa Meyen

Common Name: Glasswort

Sarcocornia fruticosa
Plant growing in native habitat
Photograph by: guitarclas blog
Creative Commons License
Sarcocornia fruticosa Sarcocornia fruticosa Sarcocornia fruticosa Sarcocornia fruticosa Sarcocornia fruticosa

General Information

Sarcocornia fruticosa is a succulent, perennial plant with erect, much-branched stems that do not form roots; it grows 50 - 150cm tall.
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of potash.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

50
Title
Flora Europaea
Publication
 
Author
?
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Year
1964
ISBN
-
Description
An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for Europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.

Range

Throughout the Mediterranean Region apart from Syria and Lebanon

Habitat

By the seashore, especially in salt marshes[
1
Title
RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
Publication
 
Author
F. Chittendon.
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Year
1951
ISBN
-
Description
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
,
50
Title
Flora Europaea
Publication
 
Author
?
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Year
1964
ISBN
-
Description
An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for Europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitPerennial
Height0.60 m
PollinatorsWind
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

Sarcocornia fruticosa is a plant of coastal areas around the Mediterranean, experiencing a climate that is hot and dry in the summer, cool and moist in the winter.

Edible Uses

Leaves - raw[
2
Title
Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
Publication
 
Author
Hedrick. U. P.
Publisher
Dover Publications
Year
1972
ISBN
0-486-20459-6
Description
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
,
177
Title
Plants for Human Consumption.
Publication
 
Author
Kunkel. G.
Publisher
Koeltz Scientific Books
Year
1984
ISBN
3874292169
Description
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
]. A brackish taste[
105
Title
Tanaka's Cyclopedia of Edible Plants of the World.
Publication
 
Author
Tanaka. T. & Nakao S.
Publisher
Keigaku Publishing; Tokyo
Year
1976
ISBN
-
Description
The most comprehensive list of edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
].

Medicinal

The whole plant is used in the treatment of eczema and other skin diseases[
1276
Title
Antiviral activity of some Tunisian medicinal plants against Herpes simplex virus type 1
Publication
Natural Product Research, 22:1, 53 - 65, 2008
Author
Sassi, A. Ben, Harzallah-Skhiri, F., Bourgougnon, N. and Aou
Website
http:// http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14786410701589790
Publisher
 
Year
2008
ISBN
 
Description
 
].

Other Uses

The ashes of the plant, and of allied species, yield soda which is used in making soap and glass[
1
Title
RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
Publication
 
Author
F. Chittendon.
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Year
1951
ISBN
-
Description
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
,
6
Title
Plants with a Purpose.
Publication
 
Author
Mabey. R.
Publisher
Fontana
Year
1979
ISBN
0-00-635555-2
Description
Details on some of the useful wild plants of Britain. Poor on pictures but otherwise very good.
].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots. Grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter and plant them out in late spring, after the last expected frosts.
Division.
Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Sarcocornia+fruticosa>

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