Arthrocnemum fruticosum

Glasswort

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Taxonomy and growth

Family: Chenopodiaceae
Genus: Arthrocnemum
Life cycle: perennial
Height: 0.6 m
Fertility: Wind
Flower type: hermaphrodite
Pollinators: Wind

Uses

Edible uses

Leaves - raw^[4]^[3]. A brackish taste^[2].

Plant part: Leaves

Material uses

The ashes of the plant, and of allied species, yield soda which is used in making soap and glass^[1]^[6].

Product or use: Potash

Product or use: Soap making

Environment

Range: S. Europe.
Habitat: By the seashore, especially in salt marshes^[1]^[5].
Light: full sun
Shade tolerance: light shade
Water: moderate
Soil textures: sandy, loamy
Soil pH: neutral, alkaline
Tolerances: high wind, maritime exposure, drought
Wind: Yes
Maritime: Yes
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil: No
Drought: tolerant
Salinity: tolerant

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.

Cultivation

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though it is likely to succeed outdoors at least in the milder areas of the country. It is likely to require a sunny position in a well-drained soil.

References

F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
↩1 ↩2
Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00
↩
Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169
↩
Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
↩
? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964-00-00
↩
Mabey. R. Plants with a Purpose. Fontana 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-00-635555-2
↩

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