Scientific Name
Tecticornia pergranulata (J.M.Black) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson
Common Name(s)
Blackseed Samphire, Blackseed Glasswort, Bead Bush
Synonym(s)
Arthrocnemum halocnemoides var. pergranulatum, Halosarcia pergranulata
Scientific Classification
Family: Amaranthaceae
Subfamily: Salicornioideae
Genus: Tecticornia
Origin
Tecticornia pergranulata is native to Australia. It is mainly found on the boundaries of salt lakes and salty swamps all across southern Australia.
Description
Tecticornia pergranulata is a small, salt-tolerant succulent shrub with woody stems and fleshy branches made of small, bead-shaped segments. It can grow up to 3.3 feet (1 m) tall. The branches are dull green or glaucous.
In spring and early summer, the plant produces tiny flowers resembling yellow spikes from the joints near the top of the branches. The flowering spike turns into a fruiting spike that contains brown or black round seeds.
Hardiness
It is grown as an annual plant, so it has no USDA hardiness zone.
How to Grow and Care
Tecticornia pergranulata is also part of a separate group called the Glassworts. It is a halophyte, which means it grows in areas with high salt content in the soil. It can be found along the coasts, salt marshes, and mangroves. Glasswort quickly colonizes mudflats in salty marshes, where other plants cannot survive. People cultivate these plants as food, oil, and fuel sources.
This plant prefers rich organic soil with ample nitrogen and regular watering. It is unknown whether the plant will require periodic inundation by salty water to grow well. Glasswort is difficult to grow in cultivation. However, it can succeed in gardens if sown as soon as the seeds are ripe in the fall in well-drained soil.
Links
- Back to genus Tecticornia
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
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