Salicornia quinqueflora

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Beaded glasswort
Sarcocornia quinqueflora.jpg
At Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary
Beaded glasswort mid.JPG
at Sydney Olympic Park
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Amaranthaceae
Genus: Salicornia
Species:
S. quinqueflora
Binomial name
Salicornia quinqueflora
Bunge ex Ung.-Sternb.
Subspecies [1]
  • S. quinqueflora subsp. quinqueflora
  • S. quinqueflora subsp. tasmanica(Paul G.Wilson) Piirainen & G.Kadereit
Synonyms [1]
  • Sarcocornia quinqueflora(Bunge ex Ung.-Sternb.) A.J.Scott
Flowering Sarcocornia quinqueflora flowerhead1 - Flickr - Macleay Grass Man.jpg
Flowering

Salicornia quinqueflora, synonym Sarcocornia quinqueflora, [1] commonly known as beaded samphire, bead weed, beaded glasswort or glasswort, [2] is a species of succulent halophytic coastal shrub. It occurs in wetter coastal areas of Australia and New Zealand.

Contents

Historically, people used to burn glassworts to collect the ashes. The ashes contained a high amount of soda in them, which was used to make soap and glass. [3] This is thought to be how glasswort received its name. [4] [5]

Description

Beaded glasswort, Salicornia quinqueflora, is a species of succulent, salt tolerant plant. It grows as a small shrub, with a lifecycle of several years – which is also known as a perennial lifecycle. They are normally found near salt water bodies (along the coast or estuaries) and grow in a mat form along the ground. [6] The stems are jointed and fleshy when young, but they dry out and appear woody when ageing. [7] The young, fleshy stems are grey or green with sometimes red colouring along the tips. [8] The leaves grow opposite to each other and are connected at the base. They grow on small bumpy petioles – which is the part of a stalk that attaches the leaf to the stem. The leaves then extend down the stem – which in turn, forms the noticeable joints. The leaves look like tiny blades, wrapped around the stem. [7] This formation of the leaves gives the stems a ‘beaded’ look. Growing at the end of the stem, the inflorescences (another name for clusters of flowers) are spikey, and made up of small segments with largecymes. Cymes are a group of flowers with a central stem that matures before the others. Each cyme usually has three flowers entirely immersed in the fleshy part of the joint. [7] The unisex or bisexual flowers are nearly always identical in size and grow in an outwardly symmetrical style along the stems. The flowers have three to four fleshy exterior parts that connect to the apex (highest part of the stem), one or two stamens (the pollen-producing reproductive organ) and an ovary with two or three parts that hold the pollen (the stigma). [7] There is a lot of fruit found in the outer part of the flower, and the fruit wall has a membrane. The seeds are vertical and spherical in shape, light brown, hairy and also have a membrane on the exterior. The hairs take on many forms – they can be angular, slight, curved, conic or straight. There is no feeding tissue (also known as the perisperm) within the seed. [7]

Reproduction and life cycle

Male flowers Sarcocornia quinqueflora (6822821956).jpg
Male flowers
Female flowers Sarcocornia quinqueflora (6822822506).jpg
Female flowers

Glassworts are perennials, [9] meaning that they go through many reproductive cycles and they do not necessarily need to produce genetically unique seeds all the time. For this reason, they often use ramets to propagate clonally. They make genetically identical copies of the healthiest organisms to spread quickly and asexually. When growth is strong and the environment is right, glassworts will produce genets, a genetically unique individual through seeds in order to keep the population diverse and evolving. Ranets often remain connected to the parent plant in order to survive in harsh conditions until they are fully developed and do not have enough nutrients and water to survive on their own. Seeds generally germinate during the early spring when temperatures begin to warm. [10]

Flowers

Salicornia quinqueflora is characterized as gynodioecious , meaning that there are populations containing only hermaphrodite plants as well as populations containing both female and hermaphrodite plants. Most populations are entirely hermaphrodite except for the coasts of Nelson & Foxton, Tasman Bays, and the central regions of Otago in New Zealand. For the hermaphrodite flowers, they are protogynous . This means that the female stigma matures before the male anther to prevent self-fertilization. For these hermaphrodites, the stigma protrudes 1–2 days before the anther, and the stigma are then visible for 4–6 days. Anthers are revealed individually, one at a time. Anthers open up in the early morning to release pollen. This pollen is then distributed by wind. The flowers produce no nectar and are generally not pollinated by insects. [7] Although, introduced honeybee, Apis mellifera, has been recorded visiting the flowers of the plant and collecting pollen on parts of its body, so this species is thought to possibly help spread pollen. [11] For the female flowers, the stigma protrudes at the same time as the anthers of the hermaphrodite plants. This allows the pollen from the hermaphrodite plants to fertilize the female plants, and the life cycle can begin. [7]

Taxonomy

It was first published as Salicornia quinqueflora in 1866, but transferred into Sarcocornia when that genus was erected in 1977. [12] The Maori name is ureure. [13] Molecular phylogenetic studies showed that when Salicornia and Sarcocornia are separated, Sarcocornia is paraphyletic, since Salicornia evolved within Sarcocornia. A study in 2017 confirmed the paraphyly of Sarcocornia, and merged the genus into Salicornia. [14] This placement is accepted by sources such as Plants of the World Online [1] and the New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. [15]

Distribution and habitat

Natural global habitat

Salicornia quinqueflora is not endemic to New Zealand. [16] In New Zealand it is found mostly on the shoreline in regions throughout the North Island. In the South Island S. quinqueflora is widespread on the east coast, but isn't found on the west coast. [17] In Australia it occurs on the south west and south east areas, and also in parts of the Nullarbor Plain, and part of the east coast of Cape York Peninsula. [18]

New Zealand range

In New Zealand, the species is found in mainly coastal areas. It can be found on all islands of New Zealand – including Stewart and the Chatham Islands. Glasswort grows on both coasts of the North Island and down the east coast of the South Island. Interestingly, it is also found in Central Otago, in two locations, roughly 70 km inland. [4]

Habitat preferences

The preferred habitat of Salicornia quinqueflora is anywhere where salty water tends to be – so along coastlines, salt marshes, sandy beaches and rocky areas. [9] It grows below and above the high tide mark along the coasts.

Soil preferences

The species is a halophyte, [6] so it prefers soils with high salinities. This is the main factor determining its success. It is typically found in areas with high moisture levels because of the high salinity of the soils near coastlines; however, glassworts are tolerable to a wide range of soil moistures. They can handle areas with completely dry soil and soils that are completely water logged. [10] Salicornia quinqueflora has a healthy population in Otago, where it is extremely dry and arid. It also has a large population on the extremely wet coastlines of Nelson.

Environmental preferences

Like other halophytes, Salicornia quinqueflora can handle a wide range of temperatures and are evolved to handle sudden environmental changes. Producing offspring through clonal reproduction allows them to survive in conditions that are less than ideal . [10] The preferred climate type is warm-temperate and subtropical regions . [6] where they can easily reproduce through seeds to keep populations genetically stable. [10]

Threats and predators

Invasive species

The introduction of invasive species into the endemic regions for beaded glasswort are a major cause of habitat loss. [6] Non-native species tend to grow quicker and faster than the native glasswort, allowing them to easily overtake their habitats. One example of this is in Victoria, Australia where Invasive Cordgrass (Spartina spp.) has changed the makeup of the intertidal sediment flats. The introduction of cordgrass caused these habitats to transform into marshlands. The previous intertidal habitat was important for the survival of the glasswort species, so the transition to marshland left the native glasswort without its habitat. [19]

Glasswort gall mite

The glasswort gall mite, Aceria rubifaciens, was discovered in Auckland in 1948 and rediscovered in 2013 in an estuary near the Firth of Thames. This tiny, endemic mite only feeds on the glasswort, which the feeding causes pocket galls on the fresh, young stems. The mites live inside the galls which offer them protection from larger predators and weather conditions.

There is not a lot known about these tiny mites, mainly because they have only been found on Salicornia quinqueflora. So far it has only been found in the North Island, but it can be assumed that it would affect the other populations throughout New Zealand. [20]

Other predators

Glasswort is also edible and palatable, so is known to have been consumed by both animals and humans. It could then be argued that both animals and humans are also considered predators of glasswort. [16]

Other information

Habitat in inland Otago

Maniototo Plain as unusual inland habitat for Glasswort Maniototo.jpg
Maniototo Plain as unusual inland habitat for Glasswort

Salicornia quinqueflora has been found growing in inland regions of Central Otago, the Maniototo Plain. This is odd because of its liking for salty soils near coastal areas. The Maniototo plain has developed highly saline soils due to the extreme dryness of the area. As rocks erode, the soil became more and more salty, and there was not enough rain to wash the salt away. This left the soil salty enough to support the glasswort. As the seeds were transported into the area by birds, the plant began to grow in the inland region. [4]

Food Source for orange-bellied parrot

The orange-bellied parrot of Australia relies heavily on glasswort as its main source of food. Orange-bellied Parrot (Neophema chrysogaster) (8079612553).jpg
The orange-bellied parrot of Australia relies heavily on glasswort as its main source of food.

One species known to rely heavily on the glasswort is the orange-bellied parrot (Neophema chrysogaster). This parrot is critically endangered, having only around 180 individuals left in the wild. This native Australian bird feeds primarily on the seeds of Salicornia quinqueflora. As habitats for the glasswort decline due to human development, it becomes harder for the parrot to find the amount of seeds it needs to survive. [21]

Glasswort use in recipes

Glasswort, apart from being a subshrub that can grow in incredibly harsh conditions, is also an edible plant. [22] It is recommended to eat the fresh, young, upper parts of the glasswort stems raw, as they are tender and more flavourful. People are able to eat glasswort on its own, like in a salad, or mixed with other salad ingredients. It can also be used as a garnish with seafood – similar to how restaurants use parsley or watercress. The natural salty content and flavor means that glasswort is good in soups or stews for extra flavour, or can be served as a hot vegetable as well. Using the fresh parts of the stems, glasswort can also be pickled – but very carefully, as like anything when pickling. [22]

There are also certain medicinal properties to glasswort. It is high in Vitamin C, Vitamin A and the B-complex vitamins and has also been described as helping flatulence and digestion. [22] There are also certain glycosides, the bioflavonoid quercetin and isorhamnetin, which have been mentioned as possible aids for cancer. [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halophyte</span> Salt-tolerant plant

A halophyte is a salt-tolerant plant that grows in soil or waters of high salinity, coming into contact with saline water through its roots or by salt spray, such as in saline semi-deserts, mangrove swamps, marshes and sloughs, and seashores. The word derives from Ancient Greek ἅλας (halas) 'salt' and φυτόν (phyton) 'plant'. Halophytes have different anatomy, physiology and biochemistry than glycophytes. An example of a halophyte is the salt marsh grass Spartina alterniflora. Relatively few plant species are halophytes—perhaps only 2% of all plant species. Information about many of the earth's halophytes can be found in the halophyte database.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amaranthaceae</span> Family of flowering plants

Amaranthaceae is a family of flowering plants commonly known as the amaranth family, in reference to its type genus Amaranthus. It includes the former goosefoot family Chenopodiaceae and contains about 165 genera and 2,040 species, making it the most species-rich lineage within its parent order, Caryophyllales.

<i>Salicornia</i> Genus of flowering plants in the family Amaranthaceae

Salicornia is a genus of succulent, halophytic flowering plants in the family Amaranthaceae that grow in salt marshes, on beaches, and among mangroves. Salicornia species are native to North America, Europe, central Asia, and southern Africa. Common names for the genus include glasswort, pickleweed, picklegrass, and marsh samphire; these common names are also used for some species not in Salicornia. To French speakers in Atlantic Canada, they are known colloquially as titines de souris. The main European species is often eaten, called marsh samphire in Britain, and the main North American species is occasionally sold in grocery stores or appears on restaurant menus as sea beans, samphire greens or sea asparagus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samphire</span> Common name for multiple species of plants

Samphire is a name given to a number of succulent salt-tolerant plants (halophytes) that tend to be associated with water bodies.

Sarcocornia is a formerly recognized genus of flowering plants in the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae. Species are known commonly as samphires, glassworts, or saltworts. Molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that when separated from Salicornia, the genus is paraphyletic, since Salicornia is embedded within it, and Sarcocornia has now been merged into a more broadly circumscribed Salicornia. When separated from Salicornia, the genus has a cosmopolitan distribution, and is most diverse in the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salicornioideae</span> Subfamily of flowering plants

The Salicornioideae are a subfamily of the flowering plant family Amaranthaceae. Important characters are succulent, often articulated stems, strongly reduced leaves, and flowers aggregated in thick, dense spike-shaped thyrses. These halophytic plants are distributed worldwide. Many are edible

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glasswort</span> Index of plants with the same common name

The glassworts are various succulent, annual halophytic plants, that is, plants that thrive in saline environments, such as seacoasts and salt marshes. The original English glasswort plants belong to the genus Salicornia, but today the glassworts include halophyte plants from several genera, some of which are native to continents unknown to the medieval English, and growing in ecosystems, such as mangrove swamps, never envisioned when the term glasswort was coined.

This page provides a glossary of plant morphology. Botanists and other biologists who study plant morphology use a number of different terms to classify and identify plant organs and parts that can be observed using no more than a handheld magnifying lens. This page provides help in understanding the numerous other pages describing plants by their various taxa. The accompanying page—Plant morphology—provides an overview of the science of the external form of plants. There is also an alphabetical list: Glossary of botanical terms. In contrast, this page deals with botanical terms in a systematic manner, with some illustrations, and organized by plant anatomy and function in plant physiology.

<i>Tecticornia</i> Genus of plants

Tecticornia is a genus of succulent, salt tolerant plants largely endemic to Australia. Taxa in the genus are commonly referred to as samphires. In 2007, the genus Halosarcia, along with three other Australian genera was incorporated into the genus.

<i>Salicornia bigelovii</i> Species of flowering plant in the amaranth family Amaranthaceae

Salicornia bigelovii is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae known by the common names dwarf saltwort and dwarf glasswort. It is native to coastal areas of the eastern and southern United States, Belize, and coastal Mexico. It is a plant of salt marshes, a halophyte which grows in saltwater. It is an annual herb producing an erect, branching stem which is jointed at many internodes. The fleshy, green to red stem can reach about 60 cm in height. The leaves are usually small plates, pairs of which are fused into a band around the stem. The inflorescence is a dense, sticklike spike of flowers. Each flower is made up of a fused pocket of sepals enclosing the stamens and stigmas, with no petals. The fruit is an utricle containing tiny, fuzzy seeds. The southern part of the species range is represented by the Petenes mangroves of the Yucatán, where it is a subdominant plant associate in the mangroves.

<i>Austroderia richardii</i> Species of grass

Austroderia richardii, syn. Cortaderia richardii, is a species of flowering plant in the family Poaceae. It is an evergreen perennial grass. The genus Austroderia is often confused with "pampas grass", which usually refers to Cortaderia selloana. "Early pampas-grass" is a more specific name. The name "tussock grass" may also be found. The Maori name is "toetoe". It is one of five species commonly called toetoe in the genus Austroderia that are endemic to New Zealand. It occurs in the South Island and possibly also in the North Island. It is also an introduced species in Tasmania, Australia.

<i>Salicornia blackiana</i> Species of plant

Salicornia blackiana, synonym Sarcocornia blackiana, commonly known as thick-head glasswort, is a species of succulent halophytic shrub. It is widespread in southern and western Australia, including Tasmania. Its preferred habitats are estuaries, swamps and periodically waterlogged saline areas.

<i>Salicornia europaea</i> Species of flowering plant in the amaranth family Amaranthaceae

Salicornia europaea, known as marsh samphire, common glasswort or just glasswort, is a halophytic annual dicot flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae. Glasswort is a succulent herb also known as "pickle weed" or "marsh samphire". As a succulent, it has high water content, which accounts for its slightly translucent look and gives it the descriptive name "glasswort". To some people, it is known as "chicken toe" because of its shape. To others, it is called "saltwort". It grows in various zones of intertidal salt marshes, on beaches, and among mangroves.

<i>Kalidium</i> Genus of flowering plants

Kalidium is a genus of flowering plants in the plant family Amaranthaceae. The species are shrubby halophytes distributed in Southeast Europe, Southwest Asia and Central Asia to China.

<i>Heterostachys</i> Genus of flowering plants

Heterostachys is a genus of flowering plants in the plant family Amaranthaceae. The two species are shrubby halophytes native to South America and Central America.

<i>Arthrocaulon macrostachyum</i> Species of flowering plant

Arthrocaulon macrostachyum, synonym Arthrocnemum macrostachyum, is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family. It is native to coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea and parts of the Middle East, where it grows in coastal and inland salt marshes, alkali flats, and other habitats with saline soils.

<i>Halocnemum strobilaceum</i> Species of plant

Halocnemum strobilaceum is a species of flowering plant in the subfamily Salicornioideae of the family Amaranthaceae. It is native to coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea and parts of the Middle East and central Asia, where it grows in coastal and inland salt marshes, alkali flats, and other habitats with saline soils.

<i>Halopeplis</i> Genus of flowering plants

Halopeplis is a genus in the family Amaranthaceae. The plants are halophytes with not articulated stems and fleshy stem-clasping leaves. There are three species, occurring from the Mediterranean basin and North Africa to Southwest Asia and Central Asia.

<i>Microcnemum</i> Genus of flowering plants

Microcnemum is a genus in the plant family Amaranthaceae, containing a single species, Microcnemum coralloides. It is a dwarf annual halophyte with fleshy, apparently jointed stems and reduced leaves and flowers. The two subspecies show a disjunct distribution in Spain and Western Asia.

<i>Salicornia pacifica</i> Species of plant

Salicornia pacifica, also known as pickleweed, sea asparagus, Pacific swampfire, or glasswort, is a species of low-growing perennial succulent halophyte in the genus Salicornia found in the Pacific coast of North America and California.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Salicornia quinqueflora Bunge ex Ung.-Sternb." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
  2. ↑ "Beaded Glasswort". Victorian Resources Online. Department of Primary Industries (Victoria). Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  3. ↑ Lehnebach, Carlos A.; Meudt, Heidi (2022-10-01). Native Plants of Aotearoa. Te Papa Te Taiao Nature Series. Te Papa Press. p. 43. ISBN   978-1-9911509-3-6.
  4. 1 2 3 "Glasswort: UrbanNature in Dunedin". DOC. 2019.
  5. ↑ Musselman, J. L., & Wiggins, H. J. (2013). The Quick Guide to Wild Edible Plants: Easy to Pick, Easy to Prepare. Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 48–49.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. 1 2 3 4 Steffen, S; Ball, P; Mucina, L; Kadereit, G (2015). "Phylogeny, biogeography and ecological diversification of Sarcocornia (Salicornioideae, Amaranthaceae)". Annals of Botany. 115 (3): 353–368. doi:10.1093/aob/mcu260. PMC   4332613 . PMID   25617410.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Scott A. J. "Sarcocornia". Flora of North America. 4: 258, 259, 260, 321.
  8. ↑ "Sarcocornia quinqueflora (Bunge ex Ung.-Sternb.) A.J.Scott". NZ Flora Factsheet.
  9. 1 2 Connor, H.E. (1984). "Gynodioecism in Sarcocornia quinqueflora (Salicornieae) in New Zealand". New Zealand Journal of Botany. 22 (3): 433–439. doi: 10.1080/0028825X.1984.10425275 .
  10. 1 2 3 4 Gul, B. (2013). "Germination strategies of halophyte seeds under salinity". Environmental and Experimental Botany. 92: 4–18. doi:10.1016/j.envexpbot.2012.11.006.
  11. ↑ Webb, C. (2011). "Observations on the foraging behaviour of the introduced honeybee Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera:Apidae) on the saltmarsh plant Sarcocornia quinqueflora at Sydney Olympic Park". Australian Zoologist. 35 (3): 884–887. doi:10.7882/AZ.2011.042.
  12. ↑ "Sarcocornia quinqueflora (Ung.-Sternb.) A.J.Scott". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  13. ↑ "Plant Use Details". Landcare Research. 2019.
  14. ↑ Piirainen, Mikko; Liebisch, Oskar & Kadereit, Gudrun (2017). "Phylogeny, biogeography, systematics and taxonomy of Salicornioideae (Amaranthaceae/Chenopodiaceae) – A cosmopolitan, highly specialized hygrohalophyte lineage dating back to the Oligocene". Taxon. 66 (1): 109–132. doi:10.12705/661.6.
  15. ↑ "New Zealand Plant Conservation Network". New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. 2020.
  16. 1 2 "Sarcocornia quinqueflora (Bunge ex Ung.-Sternb.) A.J.Scott". EcoTraits, Landcare Research.
  17. ↑ Zimer, Eduart (September 2007). "Succulent plants from down under – Sarcocornia quinqueflora – an odd succulent halophyte" (PDF). fileden.com. Retrieved 2012-05-20.
  18. ↑ Wilson, Paul G. "Chenopodiaceae". Flora of Australia . Vol. IV. p. 278.
  19. ↑ Kennedy, D. (2018). "Invasive cordgrass (Spartina spp.) in south-eastern Australia induces island formation, salt marsh development, and carbon storage". Geographical Research. 56 (1): 80–91. doi: 10.1111/1745-5871.12265 . hdl: 11343/294007 .
  20. ↑ "Glasswort gall mite - Aceria rubifaciens". NZ AC Factsheets, Landcare Research.
  21. ↑ Veenstra, A.; Milne, J.; Kolesik, P. (2007). "Taxonomy and biology of two new species of gall midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) infesting Sarcocornia quinqueflora (Chenopodiaceae) in Australian salt marshes". Australian Journal of Entomology. 46 (3): 198–206. doi:10.1111/j.1440-6055.2007.00603.x.
  22. 1 2 3 4 Nyerges, C. Guide to Wild Foods and Useful Plants (2 ed). Chicago: Chicago Review Press.
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