Suaeda occidentalis (Suaeda occidentalis)
Description
Suaeda is a genus of plants also known as seepweeds and sea-blites. Most species are confined to saline or alkaline soil habitats, such as coastal salt-flats and tidal wetlands. Many species have thick, succulent leaves, a characteristic seen in various plant genera that thrive in salty habitats (halophile plants). There are about 110 species in the Suaeda genus. The most common species in northwestern Europe is Suaeda maritima. It grows along the coasts, especially in saltmarsh areas, and is known in English as common seablite. It is also common along the east coast of North America from Virginia northward. One of its varieties is common in tropical Asia on the land-side edge of mangrove tidal swamps. Another variety of this polymorphic species is common in tidal zones all around Australia (Suaeda maritima var. australis is also classed as Suaeda australis). On the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea a common Suaeda species is Suaeda vera (synon. S. fruticosa). This is known as "shrubby sea-blite" in English, in distinguishment from common sea-blite. It grows taller and forms a bush. In the medieval and early post-medieval centuries it was harvested and burned, and the ashes were processed as a source for sodium carbonate for use in glass-making; see glasswort.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum:
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Caryophyllales
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Family: Amaranthaceae
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Genus: Suaeda
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