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Salicornia europaea
  • Glasswort

an annual member of the Salicornia genus in the family Chenopodiaceae.

Illustration Salicornia europaea0.jpg
Niche
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    The ecosystem niches for this plant are unknown. Do you know them? Click the edit button to add them!
Functions
  • None
    None
    There are no functions defined for this plant. Do you know of some? Click the edit button to add them!
Light
  • Full sun
    Full sun
    The amount of sun exposure that a plant prefers in ideal conditions.
    Key
  • no shade
    No shade
    The amount of shade a plant will tolerate without adverse health affects.
    Key
Water
  • Water Requirementsmoderate
    Moderate
    The amount of water a plant needs for healthy growth, relative to other plants.
    Key
Soil
  • acid,neutral,alkaline,very alkaline
    Unknown
    The PH range (acidity or alkilinity) of the growth medium ideal for healthy nutrient absorbtion.
    Key
  • Sandy to Clay
    The soil texture this plant prefers for optimal growth.
    Key
Cold & Heat
  • ?
    Unknown
    The USDA Hardiness scale assigns plants a number from 1 to 12 representing the minimum temperature a plant can survive.
    Key
    0< -53.9ºC< -65ºF
    1-51.1ºC-60ºF
    2-45.6ºC-50F
    3-40ºC-40ºF
    4-34.4ºC-30ºF
    5-28.9ºC-20ºF
    6-23.3ºC-10ºF
    7-17.8ºC0ºF
    8-12.2C10ºF
    9-6.7ºC20ºF
    10-1.1ºC30ºF
    114.4ºC40ºF
    12> 10ºC> 5ºF
  • ?
    Unknown
    The AHS Heat scale assigns plants a number from 1 to 12 representing the number of days per year a plant requires a temperature exceeding 30ºC (86ºF).
    Key
    11
    21 - 7
    38 - 14
    415 - 30
    531 - 45
    646 - 60
    761 - 90
    891 - 120
    9121 - 150
    10151 - 180
    11181 - 210
    12181 - 210
Salicornia europaea has 3 edible uses listed
Salicornia europaea has 2 material uses listed

Uses

Edible uses

Notes

Young stems - raw or cooked as a potherb, added to soups etc[1][2][3][4][5]. The plant is at its best for eating in late summer[6]. The stems are very succulent, but have a thin woody core that is easily removed[264, K]. They are best harvested when about 15cm long, the top 10cm being used leaving the bottom 5cm to produce new shoots[6]. They require little cooking, just adding them to a soup for the last few minutes of cooking is sufficient[7]. The plant has a salty flavour[5] and makes a very pleasant raw nibble[K]. The young shoots can be pickled after first boiling them in their own salted water[5].

Seed[8]. Rich in protein[5]. The seed is rather small and fiddly to utilize[K].

An edible oil is obtained from the seed. A high quality, it is similar to safflower oil (Carthamnus tinctoria)[5].

Leaves

Unknown use

Unknown part

Oil

Seed

Unknown use

Material uses

The ashes obtained from burning this plant are rich in potash and are used in making soap or glass[9][10][2][11][12]. The ashes can also be used as a soap.

Unknown part

Cleanser
Potash

Medicinal uses(Warning!)

There are no medicinal uses listed for Salicornia europaea.

Ecology

Ecosystem niche/layer

Ecological Functions

Nothing listed.

Forage

Nothing listed.

Shelter

Nothing listed.

Propagation

Seed - best sown in situ as soon as ripe in a well-drained outdoor bed[3].

Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Salicornia europaea. Help us fill in the blanks! Edit this page to add your knowledge.



Cultivation

Prefers a rich organic soil with ample nitrogen and regular watering[6]. This species is little, if at all, cultivated and its exact requirements are not clearly understood[6]. It is not known if the plant will require periodic inundation by salty water to grow well[6]. Glasswort is difficult to grow in cultivation[3][6], it can succeed in gardens if sown as soon as the seed is ripe in the autumn in a well-drained soil[3].

A very variable plant both in size and the number of branches produced - a number of subspecies are recognised[6]. The best forms for food production are bushy plants up to 40cm tall with an upright habit that keeps the branches out of the mud[6]. The form sometimes classed as a distinct species (as S. ramosissima Woods.) has this habit and habitat and so is the best form for using in cultivation experiments[6]. When seeking seed for cultivation, try to collect from plants with this habit and also choose plants nearer the high tide mark that therefore receive less inundation[6].

The edible leaves are occasionally sold in local markets[11].

Crops

Problems, pests & diseases

Associations & Interactions

There are no interactions listed for Salicornia europaea. Do you know of an interaction that should be listed here? edit this page to add it.

Polycultures & Guilds

There are no polycultures listed which include Salicornia europaea.

Descendants

Cultivars

Varieties

None listed.

Subspecies

None listed.

Full Data

This table shows all the data stored for this plant.

Taxonomy
Binomial name
Salicornia europaea
Genus
Salicornia
Family
Chenopodiaceae
Imported References
Edible uses
[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
Medicinal uses
Material uses & Functions
[9][10][2][11][12]
Botanic
[13]
Propagation
Cultivation
Environment
Cultivation
Uses
Edible uses
  • Leaves (Unknown use)
  • Unknown part (Oil)
  • Seed (Unknown use)
Material uses
  • Unknown part (Cleanser)
  • Unknown part (Potash)
Medicinal uses
None listed.
Functions & Nature
Functions
Provides forage for
Provides shelter for
Environment
Hardiness Zone
?
Heat Zone
?
Water
moderate
Sun
full sun
Shade
no shade
Soil PH
acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Soil Texture
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil Water Retention
Environmental Tolerances
  • Salinity
  • Strong wind
  • Maritime exposure
Ecosystems
Native Climate Zones
None listed.
Adapted Climate Zones
None listed.
Native Geographical Range
None listed.
Native Environment
None listed.
Ecosystem Niche
None listed.
Root Zone Tendancy
None listed.
Life
Deciduous or Evergreen
?
Herbaceous or Woody
?
Life Cycle
annual
Growth Rate
?
Mature Size
0.3 x meters
Fertility
?
Pollinators
Wind
Flower Colour
?
Flower Type
hermaphrodite

{#set:Has binomial name=Salicornia europaea











References

  1. ? 1.01.1 Mabey. R. Food for Free. Collins ISBN 0-00-219060-5 (1974-00-00)
  2. ? 2.02.12.22.3 Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn ISBN 0-600-33545-3 (1975-00-00)
  3. ? 3.03.13.23.33.4 Larkcom. J. Salads all the Year Round. Hamlyn (1980-00-00)
  4. ? 4.04.1 Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold ISBN 0442222009 (1982-00-00)
  5. ? 5.05.15.25.35.45.5 Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 (1990-00-00)
  6. ? 6.006.016.026.036.046.056.066.076.086.096.10 Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Vegetables Macmillan Reference Books, London. ISBN 0 333 62640 0 (1995-00-00)
  7. ? 7.07.1 Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn ISBN 0-600-37216-2 (1981-00-00)
  8. ? 8.08.1 Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing (1976-00-00)
  9. ? 9.09.1 Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin ISBN 0-14-046-440-9 (1984-00-00)
  10. ? 10.010.1 Mabey. R. Plants with a Purpose. Fontana ISBN 0-00-635555-2 (1979-00-00)
  11. ? 11.011.111.2 Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim (1959-00-00)
  12. ? 12.012.1 Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable ISBN 0094579202 (1974-00-00)
  13. ? Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press (1962-00-00)


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Facts about "Salicornia europaea"RDF feed
Article is incompleteYes +
Article requires citationsNo +
Article requires cleanupYes +
Belongs to familyChenopodiaceae +
Belongs to genusSalicornia +
Has binomial nameSalicornia europaea +
Has common nameGlasswort +
Has drought toleranceIntolerant +
Has edible partLeaves +, Unknown part + and Seed +
Has edible useUnknown use + and Oil +
Has environmental toleranceMaritime exposure +, High wind + and Salinity +
Has fertility typeWind +
Has flowers of typeHermaphrodite +
Has imageIllustration Salicornia europaea0.jpg +
Has lifecycle typeAnnual +
Has material partUnknown part +
Has material useCleanser + and Potash +
Has mature height0.3 +
Has primary imageIllustration Salicornia europaea0.jpg +
Has salinity toleranceTolerant +
Has search namesalicornia europaea + and glasswort +
Has seed requiring scarification
Has seed requiring stratification
Has seed with dormancy depth
Has shade toleranceNo shade +
Has soil ph preferenceAcid +, Neutral +, Alkaline + and Very alkaline +
Has soil texture preferenceSandy +, Loamy + and Clay +
Has sun preferenceFull sun +
Has taxonomy nameSalicornia europaea +
Has thumbnail
Has water requirementsmoderate +
Is taxonomy typeSpecies +
PFAF cultivation notes migrated No +
PFAF edible use notes migrated No +
PFAF material use notes migrated No +
PFAF medicinal use notes migrated Yes +
PFAF propagation notes migrated No +
PFAF toxicity notes migrated Yes +
Tolerates air pollution
Tolerates maritime exposure
Tolerates nutritionally poor soil
Tolerates wind
Uses mature size measurement unitMeters +