| Salicornia fruticosa | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Amaranthaceae |
| Genus: | Salicornia |
| Species: | S. fruticosa |
| Binomial name | |
| Salicornia fruticosa (L.) L. | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Salicornia fruticosa, synonym Sarcocornia fruticosa, known commonly as the shrubby marsh samphire, is a species of glasswort in the family Amaranthaceae (pigweeds). It is native to southern Europe, north Africa, Western Asia and Yemen. [1] It is a halophyte, a plant that can grow in saline conditions. [2]
It is the main saltwort species used in making special pot ash made during Mesopotamian times to the early Islamic era – قَلَيّ qali – which is the basis for the word "alkali". [3]